From News Editor
Federal Government has allocated over N500 billion to 20 federal universities in the proposed 2025 budget, with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) receiving the highest share of N44.38 billion.
The ICIR tracked the budget for 20 out of 43 federal universities in the country.
The budget proposal comes amid unresolved issues with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has consistently identified poor funding as a major contributor to Nigeria’s educational challenges.
An analysis by The ICIR showed how the budget presented on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, and titled “Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,” allocated N3.52 trillion (7.3 per cent) of the N47.90 trillion total budget to the education sector.
Although this reflected a marginal increase from the 5.5 per cent allocated in 2024, the allocation still falls short of the UNESCO-recommended 15–20 per cent of the national budget for the sector.
While presenting the budget to the National Assembly on December 18, Tinubu outlined plans to address key development priorities, including public education infrastructure.
Underfunding public universities has been a recurring issue, sparking prolonged ASUU strikes, including an eight-month industrial action in 2022.
In the latest budget proposal, the University of Calabar and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, follow UNN in the highest allocations, with N37.26 billion and N36.74 billion, respectively.
Institutions such as the Federal University Wukari and Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri, received N13.43 billion and N13.65 billion, respectively. {The ICIR }