The Federal Government has approved N250 billion for the construction of student hostels across tertiary institutions nationwide as part of efforts to address the persistent accommodation crisis in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of governing boards, principal officers and chief executives of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu approved the intervention as the first major dedicated investment targeted specifically at improving student accommodation across the country’s tertiary institutions.
Alausa explained that the fund would support hostel construction in at least 50 institutions, with each expected to receive about N2 billion to provide a minimum of 500 bed spaces.
He further revealed that an additional N90 billion would be mobilised through public-private partnership arrangements to deliver larger hostel facilities in 24 federal institutions, each expected to accommodate between 1,200 and 1,500 students.
“We have several of those schools whose constructions have already started cumulatively, N250 billion in 2026 to provide student accommodation alone,” the minister said.
He noted that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) would contribute N1 billion as counterpart funding for each institution, while private sector investors are expected to provide about N4 billion each under the partnership arrangement.
Alausa commended President Tinubu for what he described as visionary leadership under the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying education reforms and investments under the current administration were strengthening human capital development and repositioning the sector for national growth.
He added that the Ministry of Education had received the highest budgetary allocation in the country for two consecutive years, reflecting the government’s commitment to transforming education.
The minister said the hostel initiative was designed to tackle long-standing accommodation shortages affecting institutions such as Lagos State University and Yaba College of Technology, among others.
He stressed that the administration was focused on implementation-driven reforms backed by measurable outcomes rather than policies without execution.
Alausa also announced additional interventions in the sector, including N130 billion for engineering and technology workshops and N120 billion earmarked for the upgrade of medical schools nationwide.
He urged newly inaugurated board members to ensure accountability, strengthen oversight and improve institutional performance across education agencies.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the National Board for Technical Education Governing Board, Babatunde Salako, pledged commitment to transparency, institutional strengthening and aligning education with Nigeria’s economic development priorities.