- Alausa noted that the institution currently has about 38,000 students competing for only 2,600 bed spaces
- He further disclosed plans to roll out 24 independent power projects across tertiary institutions
- Alausa assured that the hostel projects would be delivered within the stated timelines
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Friday led the groundbreaking ceremony for new student hostel developments at the Yaba College of Technology, unveiling a massive national education infrastructure programme valued at ₦250 billion aimed at expanding access and improving learning conditions across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Eko Hot Blog reports that Alausa described the administration as committed to repositioning the education sector through large scale investments in infrastructure, digital learning, student welfare and technical training. He praised the leadership of YabaTech for its role in advancing technical and engineering education and supporting federal digital initiatives.
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He explained that the hostel project being launched is a public private partnership involving ₦1 billion from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and ₦3 billion from private sector investment through Integrated Property Limited, with additional private funding committed beyond the initial structure to ensure full completion.
Alausa disclosed that the Federal Government is executing a nationwide hostel expansion plan in 2026 that will deliver new student accommodation across about 98 tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
He said the intervention includes a ₦2 billion presidential special fund targeted at constructing at least 500 bed spaces each across 50 institutions nationwide. He also revealed a ₦96 billion public private partnership programme designed to deliver 24 large scale modern hostel facilities across selected institutions.
In addition, the government will deploy ₦1 billion each to selected institutions for the construction of 350 bed space hostels in 20 tertiary institutions, bringing total direct hostel interventions to nearly 74 institutions under structured capital projects.
At YabaTech alone, Alausa noted that the institution currently has about 38,000 students competing for only 2,600 bed spaces, out of which about 1,000 are no longer functional. He said the new project will add 1,500 new bed spaces within the next 24 months to reduce the severe accommodation deficit.
Beyond student housing, the minister announced a ₦60 billion investment targeted at upgrading engineering workshops, laboratories and technical facilities across polytechnics nationwide. He said the goal is to modernise practical training environments to match global standards.
He further disclosed plans to roll out 24 independent power projects across tertiary institutions, each expected to generate between 3 megawatts and 50 megawatts of electricity, to address persistent power challenges on campuses.
The minister also highlighted a nationwide deployment of 1,000 campus tricycles designed to improve internal transportation within tertiary institutions.
On student welfare, Alausa referenced the ₦16 billion annual tertiary staff support fund, which provides interest free loans of up to ₦10 million for academic and non academic staff, as part of efforts to strengthen institutional capacity.
He also noted that over ₦200 billion has been disbursed through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to cover student fees across public tertiary institutions, while an additional ₦20 billion has been paid directly to students as monthly stipends under the scheme.
In the area of skills development, Alausa said the Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme has enrolled over 160,000 students across 1,200 training centres nationwide, with participants receiving monthly stipends and government funded training support.
He added that the government is preparing a second cohort of the programme after receiving over 4 million applications nationwide, underscoring strong youth interest in technical education.
Alausa also spoke on the Student Venture Capital Grant scheme, which provides between ₦50 million and a proposed ₦75 million to ₦100 million in equity free funding to student innovators developing scalable solutions and businesses.
He encouraged students of YabaTech to take advantage of the EPIC programme, an entrepreneurship and innovation curriculum integrated into polytechnic training aimed at producing graduates who are job creators rather than job seekers.
Addressing students directly, the minister urged them to remain confident in the country and to recognise ongoing reforms in the education sector, warning against what he described as excessive negative narratives about Nigeria.
He said public criticism on social media could distort perception and discourage investment, adding that Nigeria is undergoing major transformation across sectors under the current administration.
Alausa assured that the hostel projects would be delivered within the stated timelines, stressing that the government is committed to resolving long standing infrastructure deficits that have affected student welfare for decades.
The groundbreaking marks a major phase in the federal government’s broader plan to modernise tertiary education infrastructure, expand capacity, and strengthen technical and vocational training across Nigeria.
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