The Nigerian Senate has approved legislation establishing multiple new federal educational institutions, including upgrades to the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Asaba, Delta State, and the Federal College of Education (Special) in Karaye, Kano State, alongside the creation of the Federal University of Education in Gumel, Jigawa State.
Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio described the legislative action as unprecedented in the upper chamber’s history, emphasizing the potential impact on Nigeria’s educational landscape.
Speaking during a Senate plenary session covered by NASS TV from 15:35, Akpabio highlighted the persistent challenge of limited tertiary education access facing Nigerian students. “There is no year that we do not have over 2 million Nigerian children unable to secure admission to tertiary education. There is no year after every jamb,” he stated, referencing the annual entrance examination struggles.
The Senate President projected significant benefits from the new institutions in addressing educational access issues. “So, today, what we have done will reduce at least by 50% the number of children roaming the streets and searching for years to have higher educational opportunities, and this in turn will stop them from being lured into acts of criminality that will be inimical to the progress and development of this country,” Akpabio explained.
He emphasized the historic nature of the legislative achievement, noting its uniqueness since Nigeria’s return to democracy. “I must say that this is totally uncommon; it has never happened in any Senate since 1999. But this is because this is a corrective Senate that wants to address the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians,” the Senate President declared.
Akpabio positioned the establishment of these institutions as a direct response to public demand for educational opportunities. “These are the institutions that Nigerians want. Nigerians want the opportunities. May God Almighty help these universities, and may Nigerians benefit from these universities, and may this be a turning point in the literacy level of our dear country,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President noted that the number of institutions created by the current legislative assembly demonstrates the administration’s determination to expand educational access while reducing incarceration rates in the country.
He emphasized the government’s commitment to using education as a tool to combat insecurity and hunger, while also working to provide affordable and accessible educational facilities throughout the nation. The Senate President highlighted how the legislative body’s focus on creating educational institutions reflects a broader strategy of prioritizing education over punishment as a means of addressing societal challenges.
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