The House of Representatives has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to take immediate action toward restoring the lost glory of Nigeria’s first-generation universities, including Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria; the University of Ibadan (UI); and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), among others.
Okay News reports that the resolution was reached following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Aderemi Oseni (APC, Oyo) during Wednesday’s plenary session. The motion, titled “Need to Upgrade First-Generation Universities and Investigate the Quality and Standards of TETFUND Projects Across Federal Universities in Nigeria,” received overwhelming support from lawmakers.
Oseni noted that these universities, established in the early 1960s, were once globally respected for their academic excellence, quality faculty, and top-tier infrastructure. However, decades of neglect and poor funding have eroded their status.
He lamented that lecture halls, hostels, and other facilities have fallen into disrepair, while formerly vibrant attractions like the university zoos have been abandoned. The lawmaker also expressed concerns about the poor quality of recent Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) projects, alleging that many have already begun to deteriorate despite being newly completed.
In response, the House resolved to launch a full-scale investigation into the quality and standard of TETFUND-funded projects across federal universities to ensure accountability and value for public funds.
Lawmakers further urged the Federal Ministries of Education and Finance, the National Universities Commission, TETFUND, and development partners to collaborate on plans for rehabilitating and upgrading first-generation universities.
Additionally, the House mandated its Committees on University Education, TETFUND, and other relevant bodies to assess completed and ongoing projects in tertiary institutions nationwide and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
The first-generation universities — ABU, UI, UNN, and others — were Nigeria’s earliest centers of learning, once setting the benchmark for academic excellence across Africa. However, the lawmakers emphasized that prolonged neglect and infrastructural decay have diminished their global competitiveness.
