The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has revealed that the federal government is considering converting all federal colleges of education into universities of education. Alausa shared this during the 2025 budget defense of his ministry before the joint House of Representatives Committees on Education at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The minister explained that the proposal stems from declining student interest in colleges of education, despite consistent budget allocations. “Many of these colleges have less than 1,000 students,” Alausa noted. He questioned the necessity of maintaining these institutions, comparing them to the educational structure in the United States and other advanced countries. “Do we need these colleges of education? They don’t exist in the United States of America and several other advanced countries. Let us convert them to universities of education,” he proposed.
Dr. Alausa emphasized that this year’s budget is aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eight priority areas, aiming to enhance the education sector from 2024 to 2027. The focus is on increasing school enrollment, improving the teaching environment, enhancing teacher capacity, and boosting the ability of tertiary institutions to produce a skilled workforce for national development.
Currently, Nigeria has 54 federal universities, including four inter-university centers, 36 federal polytechnics, 32 federal colleges of education, and 118 federal unity colleges. The 2025 education budget of N2.5 trillion includes allocations of N348.3 billion for the Ministry of Education, N816.7 billion for its parastatals, N226.7 billion for polytechnics, N139.3 billion for colleges of education, N811.9 billion for universities, N171.6 billion for Unity Colleges, and N3.1 billion for UNESCO Paris.
Abubakar Hassan Fulata, Chairman of the House Committee on University Education and the joint Committee, assured that the committee would leverage its constitutional powers to prevent academic disruptions and enhance education standards. He urged the Ministry of Education and relevant institutions to ensure efficient use of allocated funds, emphasizing the legislature’s role in overseeing proper fund utilization.
Fulata also warned heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) against ignoring legislative summons, highlighting the importance of accountability in line with constitutional provisions.
