Katsina Shuts Down 32 Unlicensed Private Tertiary Institutions

The Katsina State Government has ordered the closure of 32 private tertiary institutions operating without proper accreditation or licenses from regulatory bodies in the State.

The Commissioner for Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, Dr. Muhammad Isah Kankara, disclosed this during the 2026 pre-budget defence before a committee chaired by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Malik Anas, in Katsina.

Dr. Kankara explained that the ministry’s investigation revealed that many private tertiary schools in the state were running illegally without meeting national standards.

He said the decision to shut them down was necessary to protect students and maintain educational quality across the state.

“Our findings show that a number of these private tertiary institutions have been operating without approval from relevant regulatory bodies,” he stated.

The commissioner, however, admitted that the closure of the institutions has negatively affected the ministry’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) projections for the 2026 fiscal year.

According to him, the expected income from tertiary institutions will drop significantly compared to previous years because most of the institutions affected were revenue sources for the ministry.

“Our expectations for IGR this year will be lower than usual because many of these private schools, which used to generate revenue for the state, have been suspended. We can only restore those funds when they regularise their operations,” he explained.

During the session, the budget committee chairman, Malik Anas, pressed the ministry to provide a detailed list of all licensed and unlicensed institutions, along with the revenue projections from each.

He emphasised the need for transparency and realistic budgeting, urging the ministry to make such information accessible.

Responding, Dr. Kankara said the ministry was already compiling the necessary data and will submit a full report to the committee.

He added that only seven out of 39 private tertiary institutions are currently recognised and operational in Katsina State following the closure exercise.

The committee commended the ministry for its regulatory vigilance but directed it to provide updated records of all tertiary institutions before and after the closure exercise.

It also tasked the ministry with forecasting the number of schools expected to regain accreditation before the next fiscal year to aid accurate budgeting.

The closure of unaccredited private tertiary institutions marks part of Katsina State’s broader effort to sanitise the education sector and ensure compliance with national quality benchmarks.