NANS commends federal government over N38.93bn revitalisation fund

NANS has commended the federal government for the disbursement of N38.93 billion as a revitalisation fund to 166 tertiary institutions across the country. The student body described the move as a step towards addressing infrastructural decay in the education sector.

In a statement signed by its secretary general, Oladimeji Uthman, the NANS National Headquarters stated that the intervention covers 79 universities, 46 polytechnics, and 41 Colleges of Education. The breakdown shows that universities received N28.5 billion, polytechnics got N5.8 billion, and Colleges of Education received N4.7 billion. NANS noted that many institutions still battle dilapidated facilities, inadequate laboratories and workshops, and poor teaching equipment that affect students.

Monitoring and Accountability

While welcoming the intervention, NANS warned that the release of funds must be matched with transparency, accountability, and prudent utilisation. The student body cautioned beneficiary institutions against diversion, misappropriation, or misuse of funds for unrelated purposes. NANS disclosed that it possesses the full list of beneficiary institutions and will set up a dedicated monitoring committee to track how the allocations are used.

The association stated it will engage institutional authorities, SU leaderships, and other stakeholders to see if the intervention produces results. It called on relevant federal ministries and oversight agencies to strengthen supervision and conduct periodic assessments. NANS charged Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts to ensure projects are properly planned and open to scrutiny.

Led by Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, NANS expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to public tertiary institutions, while calling for consistent funding. The association stated that public funds meant for rehabilitation must be reflected in classrooms, laboratories, workshops, libraries, and hostels.