Nigeria Weighs Conversion of Colleges to Universities Amid Enrollment Decline

Nigeria's Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has proposed converting all federal colleges of education into universities of education, citing dwindling enrollment numbers. The minister's comments came during a budget defense before the House of Representatives Committees on Education.

According to Alausa, many students are no longer seeking admission to colleges of education, with some institutions having fewer than 1,000 students despite receiving budgetary allocations. The minister questioned the necessity of these colleges, noting that similar institutions do not exist in countries like the United States.

The proposed conversion is part of the ministry's efforts to revamp Nigeria's education sector. The 2025 budget proposal, worth N2.5 trillion, aims to achieve key priorities outlined by President Bola Tinubu. These include providing opportunities for children to return to school, improving teacher capacity, and enhancing the quality of tertiary institutions.

Key allocations in the 2025 education budget include:

- N348.3 billion for the Ministry of Education

- N816.7 billion for parastatals

- N226.7 billion for polytechnics

- N139.3 billion for colleges of education

- N811.9 billion for universities

Chairman of the House Committee on University Education, Abubakar Hassan Fulata, assured that the committee would work to avoid disruptions to academic activities and improve education standards in Nigeria. Fulata emphasized the need for efficient utilization of allocated funds and warned against ignoring invitations and summons from heads of ministries, departments, and agencies.