The 10th National Assembly has continued the rapid and unsustainable creation of new public higher institutions without considering the critical issues of sustainable funding, equipment needs, and staffing. Since June, lawmakers have introduced 32 bills in the House of Representatives proposing the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. This trend is alarming, and both President Bola Tinubu and responsible legislators need to intervene and halt this counterproductive proliferation.

Nigerian governments, both federal and state, seem to treat higher education lightly, responding to the growing demand for tertiary education by hastily creating under-funded institutions. This approach is flawed. Lawmakers are prioritizing the establishment of new institutions in their constituencies, viewing them as “constituency projects” meant to impress voters, rather than considering the long-term needs of the educational sector.

Notably, Speaker of the House Tajudeen Abbas has proposed a bill to establish a federal university in Kaduna, while Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu seeks to create a medical university in his Bende, Abia State constituency. These efforts are part of a broader trend where politicians race to establish institutions in their regions, disregarding the resources needed to sustain them. Past administrations have similarly mushroomed institutions that lack proper funding, staffing, and equipment, leading to overcrowding and steep fee hikes that many students and their families cannot afford.

In October, President Tinubu approved the take-off of six out of 14 federal universities established by the previous administration. The government cites the overwhelming number of applicants seeking higher education as justification. While it is undeniable that higher education is essential for a country’s development, Nigeria’s current approach prioritizes quantity over quality.

Data from the National Universities Commission shows that Nigeria already has 262 universities—52 federal, 63 state-owned, and 147 private. However, the focus should not be on creating more institutions but on improving the quality of existing ones through adequate funding, staffing, and infrastructure.

Countries that prioritize education place a premium on creating an environment conducive to learning, teaching, and research. Rather than being a regulator and facilitator, the Nigerian government is confusing its role and contributing to the mess in the higher education sector.

Despite promising N1.4 trillion for its universities in 2010 under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with university lecturers, the government has failed to provide the funds, even as it continues to establish new institutions. When former President Goodluck Jonathan created 12 universities at once, the government allocated a mere N2 billion as take-off funding, an amount insufficient to cover the basic needs of these institutions.

The Federal Government needs to rethink its higher education strategy. Instead of continually creating new institutions, it should encourage private, faith-based, and non-profit institutions through grants, research support, and aid. The government should also invest in scholarships, bursaries, loans, and grants to help students afford quality education. State governments should only establish institutions they can fund sustainably, while local governments, philanthropists, and corporations should be encouraged to provide research grants and other support.

This unbridled expansion of tertiary institutions must stop if Nigeria is to preserve and improve the quality of its higher education system.