FG to Inject N30 Billion into 74 Federal Universities as University Unions Call for Broader Engagement

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to inject an additional N30 billion over the next three years to stabilize and rehabilitate the country’s 74 federal universities. This funding is supplementary to the universities’ annual budgetary allocations and forms part of a broader effort to revamp the nation’s higher education system.

In alignment with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommendation, the government also intends to increase education sector funding to 15 percent of the national budget. The new initiative, titled the Stabilisation and Restoration Fund, will be disbursed in three equal installments of N10 billion per year from 2026 to 2028, with oversight and management handled by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

“It was agreed that the government shall provide N30 billion to be paid in three equal installments of N10 billion yearly from 2026 to 2028, to be managed by NUC,” the agreement states under Section 4.3.3 titled “Stabilisation and Restoration Fund.”

Experts have noted that if these funds are transparently managed and efficiently deployed, they could significantly address longstanding infrastructural decay, upgrade teaching and learning facilities, and strengthen research capacity across federal universities. However, they caution that sustainable funding, strict accountability, and consistent monitoring by relevant stakeholders are essential to ensure the initiative produces lasting impact rather than temporary relief.

The agreement also recommends a gradual increase in education sector funding, proposing a yearly increment of 2.5 percent until the 15 percent target is achieved. Additionally, 50 percent of the sector’s total capital budget should be allocated to universities while maintaining the existing policy of free undergraduate tuition.

Despite UNESCO’s global recommendation that countries dedicate 15 to 20 percent of public spending to education, Nigeria has historically underfunded the sector. Between 1999 and 2026, federal allocations fluctuated, reaching a low of 1.69 percent in 2011 and a peak of 13 percent in 2008.

In the 2026 budget currently under consideration by the National Assembly, the government earmarked N3.52 trillion for education out of a total N58.47 trillion. However, Omole Ibukun, founder of Creative Change Centre, argued that this allocation—representing just 6.02 percent of the national budget—is insufficient to address the sector’s deep-rooted challenges and achieve the urgently needed reforms.

Meanwhile, the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has distanced itself from the recent agreement with ASUU, urging the government to engage all university unions in sector-wide negotiations. Dr. ‘Niyi Sunmonu, CONUA National President, emphasized the union’s legal and independent status, noting its registration is validated by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) and recognized under International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

Sunmonu also highlighted that while the Federal Government-ASUU agreement resolves some issues stemming from a 2009 framework, discussions with other recognized unions, including CONUA, are ongoing to ensure sustainable improvements in conditions of service, institutional stability, and the overall quality of education in Nigeria’s universities.