FG budgets N311.2 billion on Federal Universities

The Federal Government has proposed to spend N311.2 billion on federal universities in the 2019 budget.

This is based on a breakdown of the budgetary allocation to the universities recently presented before the National Assembly.

N293.5 billion of the figure is expected to go into recurrent expenditure while the remaining N17.7 billion was proposed for capital expenditure. The sum constitutes 3.5% of the national budget.

EduCeleb.com had earlier reported that 7.02% of the 2019 appropriation bill was earmarked for the Federal Ministry of Education.

But some of the universities’ budgets were not under the ministry as they were directly controlled by the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Resources, Interior, and Defence.

Nigeria currently has 43 federal universities spread across the country with each still being regulated by the education ministry through the National Universities Commission (NUC), in conjunction with the other coordinating ministries, where applicable.

Focus on full degree awarding institutions

The total figure is based on the budget proposal for the universities as degree awarding institutions, according to EduCeleb.com findings.

It excludes budgetary allocations affiliated to the institutions separated in forms of their centres for specialised research such as the National Centre for Energy and Environment at the University of Benin or institutions like the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of Lagos.

It also excludes affiliate degree awarding institutions like the Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo is to the Obafemi Awolowo University.

Also not included are the budgets of colleges of universities offering below a degree programme such as the Division of Agricultural College at Ahmadu Bello University.

While the National Teachers’ Institute may have degree and postgraduate diploma programmes, it is excluded since it does not directly award such without university affiliations.

Budgets meant to impact universities such as the Energy Audit for selected institutions by the Energy Commission of Nigeria are also excluded.

NDA to get more allocation than others

Of the universities highlighted in the data gathered, EduCeleb.com found that the Nigeria Defence Academy is poised to get the highest allocation with N18.9 billion.

It is closely followed by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with N17.7 billion and the University of Nigeria, Nnsuka, with N17.5 billion proposed.

The University of Calabar and the University of Benin are projected to spend N14.9 billion and N14.3 billion respectively. They are followed by the University of Ibadan with N13.5 billion, the University of Lagos with N12.3 billion, and the University of Jos with N12.1 billion.

Five institutions with the least budgets are the Federal University, Gusau; the Federal University, Gashua; the Federal University Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun; the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko and the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB). Their budgets are between N2.3 billion and N1.3 billion.

In terms of capital projects too, the NDA is taking the lion share with about N9 billion. It is distantly followed by the three federal universities of agriculture in the country.

The Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi proposed to spend N965.1 million, the Michael Okpara University of Agricuture, Umudike (MOUAU) wants to spend N913.3 million while the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta proposed N803.5 million.

Then, the Nigeria Police Academy has the fourth highest budget on capital projects with N734.8 million. Proceeding that are Nigeria Maritime University Okerenkoko and Bayero University Kano with N402.6 million and N399.8 million respectively.

The least proposed capital spending among the universities is the Federal University of Technology, Akure with N71 million. It is preceded by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), which proposed spending N71.7 million. Twelve other universities proposed similar spending of N71.8 million on capital projects.

These are the University of Lagos, the University of Nigeria Nnsuka, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Benin, and the University of Jos.

Others are University of Calabar, the University of Ilorin, Federal University of Technology Owerri, the Federal University of Technology Minna, the Federal University of Technology Yola, the University of Maiduguri, Usmanu Dan Fodio University, Sokoto and the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun.

For information on Press Releases, Photos, Promotional Events and Adverts, Please message us on WhatsApp via (+234) 09052129258, 08124662170 or send an email to: info@educeleb.com.