The Federal Government has approved N250 billion for the construction of student hostels across tertiary institutions in Nigeria as part of efforts to address accommodation challenges facing students.
Minister of Education, 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 him, the approval was granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to tackle the acute shortage of hostel facilities in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide.
Alausa said the intervention represents the first major dedicated investment focused solely on student accommodation in tertiary institutions.
He explained that the fund would support hostel construction in at least 50 tertiary institutions, with each institution expected to receive about N2 billion to provide a minimum of 500 bed spaces.
The minister added that an additional N90 billion would be deployed through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements to build hostels in 24 federal institutions, each providing between 1,200 and 1,500 bed spaces.
“We have several of those schools whose constructions have already started cumulatively, N250 billion in 2026 to provide student accommodation alone,” he said.
Alausa further revealed that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) would provide N1 billion counterpart funding for each institution, while private investors are expected to contribute about N4 billion per project.
He commended Tinubu’s leadership, describing it as “missionary” and pivotal to ongoing reforms in the education sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the minister, the administration’s investment and policy direction have strengthened human capital development and positioned education as a key driver of national transformation.
He noted that the education sector had received the highest budgetary allocation in the country for two consecutive years, reflecting government’s commitment to reform.
Alausa said the hostel initiative was designed to address longstanding accommodation deficits in institutions such as Lagos State University and Yaba College of Technology.
He stressed that the ministry was prioritising implementation-driven reforms anchored on measurable outcomes rather than policy formulation alone.
The minister also charged newly inaugurated board members to promote accountability, strengthen oversight and improve institutional performance across agencies.
He announced additional investments, including N130 billion for engineering and technology workshops and N120 billion for the upgrading of medical schools nationwide.
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 needs.
