The Federal Government says it has released ₦38.93 billion to 166 public tertiary institutions under the Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund. The intervention covers universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria.
The Federal Ministry of Finance announced the disbursement on 25 October in a statement signed by its Head of Media, Efe Ovuakporie. It said 79 universities, 46 polytechnics and 41 colleges of education would receive support for approved infrastructure and teaching projects.
Universities account for the largest allocation. Figures from the accompanying schedules, reported by Okay News, put their combined share at approximately ₦28.50 billion, or 73.2 per cent of the total. Polytechnics account for about ₦5.76 billion and colleges of education ₦4.67 billion.
The ministry’s statement gives rounded sector figures of ₦28.5 billion, ₦5.8 billion and ₦4.7 billion. Those rounded figures add up to ₦39 billion, rather than the announced ₦38.93 billion total. The more detailed amounts reported from the schedules reconcile to the headline sum when expressed to two decimal places in billions.
Allocations differ between institutions. Okay News reported that 12 universities, including the University of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, were listed for ₦864.045 million each. Lagos State University’s allocation was approximately ₦261.39 million.
Yaba College of Technology and Auchi Polytechnic were each listed for about ₦241.02 million. The Federal Colleges of Education in Yola and Katsina had allocations of approximately ₦238.03 million apiece, according to the same schedules reviewed by Okay News.
The Finance Ministry linked the release to agreed measures under a memorandum of understanding between the government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities. It said beneficiaries could begin or advance approved projects addressing infrastructure gaps and other institutional needs.
Revitalisation funding has a long history in negotiations between the government and university academics. In a December 2013 statement, then ASUU president Nasir Fagge reproduced government commitments arising from talks with President Goodluck Jonathan. They included a six-year ₦1.3 trillion funding schedule, a dedicated account at the Central Bank of Nigeria and a central monitoring committee. The schedule provided for ₦200 billion in 2013 and ₦220 billion annually from 2014 to 2018. Those were commitments for the earlier programme, not figures for the latest release.
The Education Ministry continues to list the University Revitalisation Fund among its programmes. Its University Education Department says the fund supports infrastructure and institutional development. The department also records a monitoring exercise across 60 universities under the 2021 Needs Assessment Intervention, a separate round from the 79 universities in the latest announcement.
Colleges of education have their own intervention arrangements within the ministry. Its Colleges of Education Department coordinates the secretariat for Needs Assessment Projects and lists the implementation of revitalisation projects in public colleges among its responsibilities. The department also oversees teacher education policies and monitors government intervention projects.
The latest Finance Ministry statement describes funds as disbursed, but does not identify individual construction contracts, project completion dates or facilities already delivered. It directs the public to the ministry’s website for beneficiary allocations. The announcement provides no institution-by-institution confirmation of receipt.
Image: Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan, 12 December 2021, by Temilolub.52021, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Archive photograph used for illustration; it does not show a project funded by this release. Source | Licence.
