Funmi Ogundare
The Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund has expressed concern about the declining revenue available to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), saying it could slow infrastructure development in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The committee chairman, Senator Mohammed Dandutshe, raised the concern during an oversight visit to Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, where the committee inspected TETFund-funded projects and interacted with the institution’s management, staff and students.
He said discussions with relevant stakeholders indicated that the amount available for distribution to TETFund this year could be significantly lower than the previous year’s allocation.
Dandutshe stated, “The development could affect the pace of infrastructure development in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, particularly as the government continues to establish and expand tertiary institutions across the country.”
The senator highlighted the need for adequate education funding, saying Nigeria must accord the sector greater priority to achieve sustainable national development. He added that the committee’s visit was part of its constitutional responsibility to monitor project implementation and ensure transparency and accountability in the utilisation of public funds.
The chairman added, “The inspection was also designed to enable members of the committee to engage directly with tertiary institutions and understand the challenges affecting the delivery of quality education.”
Dandutshe said that the committee was particularly interested in assessing what YABATECH had achieved with TETFund interventions covering the 2023, 2024 and 2025 cycles, as well as identifying challenges requiring legislative intervention.
Speaking on the institution’s challenges, the Rector, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, noted that it is grappling with severe infrastructural pressure due to its large population and limited land space.
Dandutshe disclosed that the institution has about 35,400 students and more than 2,000 staff members operating within a relatively small land area, making conventional horizontal expansion difficult. He noted that the situation has forced the college to adopt vertical development by constructing multi-storey buildings to maximise its limited land space.
The rector said the college, which will mark its 80th anniversary next year, has several facilities that have become obsolete, some built during the colonial era. He said the college consequently embarked on a strategic redevelopment programme involving the demolition of some old structures and the construction of modern multi-storey facilities.
Abdul said, “YABATECH had also adopted the policy of merging TETFund interventions across different years to execute projects of substantial value and quality capable of addressing its peculiar infrastructural needs.”
He cited the conversion of spaces previously occupied by facilities such as the Rector’s Lodge for academic infrastructure as part of efforts to optimise the institution’s limited land.
Abdul further disclosed that the college is facing intense demand for admission because of its reputation, noting that hundreds of prospective students had protested in the past over their inability to secure admission. He, however, explained that despite the demand, the institution had to operate within the admission quota approved by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Abdul said the college was gradually developing another campus and had begun directing some infrastructural interventions towards the new location. According to him, YABATECH is expanding its skills-development programmes to equip young Nigerians with practical competencies beyond conventional National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes.
A member of the committee, Senator Shuaibu Afolabi, commended the college for managing its large student population within limited physical space. Afolabi urged the institution to complement its vertical physical expansion with increased investment in digital learning. He advised the college to explore remote learning centres and technology-enabled teaching platforms that would allow students to participate in academic activities without necessarily being physically present on campus.
The senator also encouraged YABATECH to build stronger affiliations with reputable institutions worldwide to promote knowledge exchange and expose its students and staff to best practices.
Afolabi urged the college to seek additional interventions from federal agencies with mandates in technology and innovation to complement TETFund funding, particularly agencies involved in ICT, digital technology and innovation.