There have been 32 bills introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives during the 10th National Assembly to create new colleges, universities, and polytechnics.
Experts and the Academic Staff Union of Universities warned the government against expanding into higher education at the expense of existing institutions.
Nigeria is home to 52 different federal universities. The National Universities Commission reports that out of a total of 147 higher education institutions in the country, 63 are public and the rest are private.
There are 76 private polytechnics, 49 state-owned polytechnics, and 40 federal polytechnics, as reported by the National Board for Technical Education.
Seventy health science universities are owned by the federal government or individual states, whereas just seventeen are privately funded.
Furthermore, 219 colleges of education are counted by the National Commission for Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
According to the data, the House Speaker is the most effective legislator. On July 6, 2023, the Speaker successfully pushed through the first reading of a bill that would establish the Federal University of Technology in Kaduna. The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, has also been a strong supporter of expanding medical education at the proposed Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences campus in Bende, Abia State.
Among the several federal polytechnics in Nigeria are Benjamin Kalu Federal Polytechnic in Rano, Kano State, and Federal Polytechnic in Shendam, Plateau State.
