The beneficiaries comprise 79 universities, 46 polytechnics and 41 colleges of education, with universities receiving the largest share of the allocation.
The Federal Ministry of Finance disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Head of Media, Efe Ovuakporie, explaining that the funds would be used to execute approved projects in the beneficiary institutions.
“The Federal Government has disbursed ₦38.93bn to 166 public tertiary institutions nationwide under the Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund,” the statement said.
According to the ministry, universities received ₦28.5bn, while polytechnics were allocated ₦5.8bn and colleges of education received ₦4.7bn.
An analysis of the figures shows that universities account for approximately 73.2 per cent of the total allocation. Polytechnics account for about 14.9 per cent, while colleges of education receive approximately 12.1 per cent.
The ministry explained that the intervention forms part of the government’s efforts to address longstanding infrastructure challenges in public tertiary institutions and support the implementation of agreements reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
“The intervention forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to address the needs of public universities and support the implementation of agreed measures under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities,” the statement added.
The Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund is intended to support infrastructure upgrades and other identified institutional requirements. In public universities, inadequate facilities have remained a recurring concern in discussions between the government and academic unions.
The ministry said the latest disbursement would enable beneficiary institutions to commence new projects or continue previously approved interventions designed to improve their facilities and operational capacity.
“The funds are expected to enable beneficiary institutions to commence or advance approved projects addressing critical infrastructure and other identified institutional needs, with the overall objective of strengthening the quality of tertiary education in Nigeria,” it stated.
The government also stressed the importance of coordination among the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Education and the beneficiary institutions to ensure that the funds translate into measurable improvements.
According to the ministry, effective collaboration among the relevant agencies and institutions would be essential to achieving the objectives of the intervention, particularly in improving infrastructure, strengthening institutional capacity and creating better learning conditions for students.
The disbursement comes amid continuing calls for improved funding of Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions, many of which face challenges involving classrooms, laboratories, libraries, student accommodation and other essential facilities.
The government expects the intervention to support approved projects and contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning across the beneficiary institutions.
