The Federal Government has earmarked N48 billion for the rehabilitation of engineering infrastructure and provision of modern equipment in 12 federal and state universities.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja during the inauguration of a Ministerial Monitoring, Evaluation and Implementation Committee for a special high-impact intervention project.
Alausa said the initiative, which is being implemented in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, is designed to transform universities into centres of hands-on training, applied research, innovation and problem-solving rather than largely theoretical institutions.
The minister described the inauguration of the committee as a critical milestone in the Federal Government’s deliberate and strategic efforts to rebuild engineering and technology education as a driver of industrialisation, innovation and sustainable national development.
He noted that a persistent gap between theoretical knowledge and practical competence among engineering and technology graduates has continued to limit employability, weaken industrial confidence and constrain Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global technology space.
According to the minister, the TETFund Special Impact Intervention Project was deliberately structured to address these shortcomings through the provision of modern workshops, advanced laboratories, cutting-edge equipment and industry-relevant training environments capable of producing graduates who can design, fabricate, test, innovate and industrialise solutions.
He clarified that the special intervention is separate from the N20 billion captured under TETFund’s 2026 spending guidelines specifically for upgrading engineering workshops in selected universities.
The minister listed institutions in the first tranche of the intervention to include Federal Universities of Technology across the geopolitical zones, such as those in Akure, Owerri and Minna, as well as selected conventional and state universities.
He added that additional institutions would be brought on board as the year progresses, while others are benefiting from separate medical and science-based interventions.
The newly inaugurated committee is chaired by the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, Engr. Ali Rabiu, alongside other scholars and professionals.
Alausa said the committee’s mandate includes monitoring the rehabilitation and equipping of engineering and technology workshops, ensuring compliance with approved standards, recommending new workshop construction where necessary and overseeing the utilisation of funds in line with procurement laws and transparency principles.
The committee is also expected to maintain digital project records, submit periodic reports and recommend sanctions for non-compliance.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described the intervention as strategic to Nigeria’s aspirations for industrialisation, innovation and sustainable economic growth, stressing that funding alone would not guarantee impact without strict implementation and accountability.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc Sonny Echono, commended the initiative and expressed confidence that the committee would help identify needs, set priorities, monitor implementation and ensure the prudent utilisation of allocated funds.
