701 abandoned projects in varsities —Report

Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i
| credits: File copy

The report of the Federal Government Committee on Needs Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities has revealed the sorry state of facilities in the nation’s public universities.

The report which was presented to the National Economic Council by the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, earlier this month, painted a pitiable picture of the Nigerian university system.

According to the report, the condition under which most students study is not conducive for proper teaching and learning to take place.

Apart from being unhygienic, a substantial number of classroom blocks and hostels lack basic amenities.

In spite of this state of affairs, several physical development projects have been abandoned.

Excerpts of the report which was obtained by SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja, on Saturday, reveal that there are 701 abandoned physical development projects which have been abandoned nationwide.

University of Nigeria, Nsuka and the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto have the highest number of such projects with 22 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.

The report reads in part, “There are 701 physical development projects dotted across the universities in the country. 163 (23.3%) are abandoned projects; 538 (76.7%) are ongoing projects some of the abandoned projects are over 15 years old

“These abandoned projects are funded through Capital appropriation (Federal and State), Niger Delta Development Commission and Internally Generated Revenue.

“It is noteworthy that while over 60 per cent of the ongoing projects are being funded by Tertiary Education Trust Fund, there is no abandoned TETFund project.”

The report also shows that the NDDC has abandoned all its projects in public universities in the Niger Delta.

It notes that about 84.6 per cent of the projects are student hostels.

The report also gives a list of the affected projects and the schools involved.

They are: student’s hostel, Federal University of Technology, Akure, which reached 20 per cent completion before it was abandoned. Students Hostel, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun- Nil, Delta State.

Others are: 500-room students hostel, Federal University of Technology Owerri, 35 per cent. Work has yet to commence at the Medical Complex, University of Benin and the students’ hostel as well as laboratory of the Imo State University.

The situation is the same at the Niger Delta University. Work stopped at the 500-bed NDDC Hostel “A and B” after just 10 per cent of work was done.

Work on the students’ hostel in the University of Port-Harcourt reached 25 per cent completion before it was abandoned.

The students’ hostel in the Ambrose Alli University was abandoned after it reached 20 per cent completion

University of Benin students hoping to use the proposed NNDC-funded students’ hostel will have to wait a little longer, the same for the 500-bed students’ hostel at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Ondo State.