FIX WHAT’S BROKEN BEFORE BUILDING : THE URGENT NEED FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION REFORM

 FIX WHAT’S BROKEN BEFORE BUILDING : THE URGENT NEED FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION REFORM


By Tijjani Sarki

Good Governance and Public Policy Analyst  14th August 2025


Nigeria’s tertiary education system is in crisis. While millions of young Nigerians hope for access to quality education, our universities, polytechnics, and colleges are plagued by inadequate infrastructure, poor staffing, and insufficient funding. Against this backdrop, the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) recent decision to suspend the indiscriminate establishment of new tertiary institutions is not only timely, it is necessary.


As the Minister of Education rightly warned, “expansion without consolidation” poses a real threat to the quality and sustainability of our education system. That’s not just a cautionary statement, it’s a national reality we can no longer ignore.


For years, governments have announced new institutions as political tokens, even while existing ones are neglected. The 12 federal universities set up during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, for example, were meant to expand access. Yet, more than a decade later, many of them still operate from temporary sites and lack essential infrastructure lecture halls, labs, hostels, and libraries. Students are left to rent overpriced, often unsafe off-campus accommodation.


Despite these challenges, successive administrations from President Muhammadu Buhari to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have continued this expansionary trend without adequately addressing foundational issues. Some newly established universities are yet to admit students, while others struggle with alarmingly low enrollment. This is more than poor planning, it reflects misplaced priorities.


In addition to reforming public institutions, the FEC must take urgent steps to regulate the growing number of private universities operating below acceptable standards. Many of these institutions run from rented buildings, lacking even basic infrastructure or qualified academic staff. Without stricter oversight, we risk further degrading the quality of higher education and eroding public confidence in our degree-awarding institutions.


Meanwhile, Nigeria’s  universities such as Zaria, Nsukka, Lagos, Ibadan, Kano are overcrowded and underfunded. Their facilities are deteriorating, academic morale is low, and many graduates are unprepared for today’s job market. This is not just an education problem, it is a threat to national development.


A poorly educated population means a weakened workforce, stifled innovation, and deepening inequality. The consequences stretch across sectors from healthcare and technology to governance and public safety. If we fail to fix the system, the cost will be generational.


The FEC’s decision must be the start of serious reform, not just another policy footnote. The government must invest in rehabilitating existing institutions, upgrade infrastructure, improve staff welfare, and prioritize quality assurance across all tertiary institutions public and private alike.


Education policy must be guided by national interest, not political gain. Until we fix what is broken, every new university is merely a monument to failure, not progress.


The task ahead demands courage, clarity, and commitment. The time to act is now.


Sarki writes from Zawaciki, Kano.


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