Reps Seek Upgrade Of 1st Generation varsities

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministries of Education and Finance, the National Universities Commission, the Tertiary Education Trust (TETFund), and Development Partners to work out modalities to refurbish first-generation universities and restore their glory and quality.

These include the University of Ibadan (UI), University of Nigeria, Nsuka (UNN) and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU).

The House equally resolved to investigate the quality and standards of TETFUND projects across federal universities in the country.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion moved by the member representing Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency in Oyo, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, at plenary on Wednesday.

Moving the motion, Oseni noted that the first-generation federal universities in Nigeria in the early 1960s exuded glory, glamour, quality, and class from their inception and were also the nation’s pride.

He said the standard and quality of the first-generation universities, in terms of the quality of teachers, students, and infrastructure, attract foreign students and international recognition worldwide.

Oseni expressed worry that these first-generation universities, including UNN and others, seem to have lost the glory they exuded in the 1960s due to years of neglect and unintended abandonment of infrastructure and facilities.

He lamented that years of neglect resulted in decay and dilapidated infrastructure of the institutions’ lecture halls, hostels, and auditoriums, saying the beautiful zoos in the universities that attracted tourists from far and near are either empty or non-existent.

The lawmaker noted that the TETFund intervention projects initiated to ameliorate the infrastructure gap in the universities have executed several projects in selected institutions.

He expressed concern that TETFund projects are of poor quality, with newly completed works deteriorating faster than projects built over 60 years ago.

Oseni emphasised the need for the federal government to refurbish the first-generation universities in Nigeria to return them to their former glory and investigate the quality of work executed by TETFund to justify the value for the money spent on the projects.