More than numbers: Rethinking the rush to build new universities

Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office, his administration has shown an eagerness to reform education in Nigeria—a sector that has long cried out for attention. One of the government’s more applauded initiatives is the student loan scheme, introduced to ease the financial burden on students and widen access to higher education. It’s a step in the right direction. But alongside this progress, another trend has quietly gathered pace—one that raises serious concerns.

Across the country, new universities are springing up, and even more are being proposed. Many of these plans are driven not by educational experts or long-term policy frameworks, but by politicians keen to leave their mark. Some legislators have sponsored bills to site universities in their constituencies, often without a clear sense of whether the communities—and the country—can sustain them.

While expanding access to education is a worthy goal, we must pause and ask ourselves: are we building universities just for the sake of it?

According to the National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria currently has 283 universities—69 federal, 66 state, and 148 private. Yet, despite this sizeable number, our institutions are struggling. Every year, more than 75 percent of applicants are unable to secure admission, and this fact is often used to justify the need for more universities. But behind that statistic lies a more uncomfortable truth: many of our existing universities are not in good shape.

Across the country, lecture halls are overcrowded, and basic infrastructure is failing. In too many schools, students learn without electricity, safe water, or access to functioning libraries. Laboratories lack essential equipment; in some cases, students are asked to perform virtual simulations instead of real experiments. These are not just inconveniences—they are barriers to learning, and they chip away at the promise that a university education should hold.

The consequences are deeply personal. Talented young people graduate lacking the tools they need to thrive in a competitive world—not because they lack ambition, but because the system failed to give them the environment to grow.

And for those who teach and serve in these institutions, the frustrations run deep. Since 2009, agreements made with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have largely gone unfulfilled. Issues such as revitalisation funds, unpaid allowances, and poor working conditions remain unresolved. The result is a cycle of strikes and disrupted academic calendars, leaving students and staff in a constant state of uncertainty.

In this context, the push for new universities—however well-intentioned—feels premature. Before we add to the numbers, we must take care of what we already have.

There are important questions we cannot ignore: Who will teach in these new universities when many existing ones are already understaffed? How will they be funded when our education budget is still below 8%—far short of the UNESCO-recommended 15 to 20 percent? And what stops these new institutions from suffering the same fate as so many others, becoming neglected before they even have a chance to flourish?

These questions are not meant to stifle ambition, but to ensure that our efforts are grounded in care, in sustainability, and in vision. Because if we’re honest, the risk isn’t just financial waste—it’s the slow erosion of faith in our higher education system.

What we need now is not a race to build more universities, but a deep, honest commitment to strengthening the ones we have. This means investing in infrastructure, training and retaining qualified staff, funding research, and creating academic environments where students and lecturers can thrive. It also means valuing alternative pathways—polytechnics and colleges of education, which for too long have been overlooked, yet are vital to our national development.

Importantly, we must address the stigma that places university degrees above vocational or technical training. Every form of education has value, and our young people should never feel lesser for choosing one path over another.

We must put in place stronger checks to assess whether new universities are truly needed, and whether they have the resources to succeed. A university should never be reduced to a political trophy. It should be a living, breathing institution—serving its community, nurturing minds, and shaping futures.

At the heart of this conversation are millions of young Nigerians with dreams. They deserve not just more universities, but better ones. Institutions that inspire, that prepare them for the world ahead, and that remind them that their country believes in their potential.

Let us not mistake quantity for progress. Let us build with care, with foresight, and with heart. Only then can we truly begin to reclaim the promise of Nigerian higher education.