Inside the multi-million-Naira education projects Tinubu just commissioned

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday inaugurated a series of major education infrastructure projects across four tertiary institutions in different parts of the country, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to strengthening higher education and closing Nigeria’s skills gap.

The projects, funded through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), were commissioned as part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration and span institutions in Nasarawa, Kaduna, Jigawa and Bauchi states.

The newly completed facilities are aimed at improving teaching, learning, research and student welfare in colleges of education, polytechnics, universities and military training institutions.

At the Nasarawa State College of Education, Akwanga, the President commissioned a modern School of Science Complex designed to enhance the training of science teachers. The facility comprises conventional reading halls, dedicated electronic libraries for students and staff, offices for academic personnel, as well as reference and inquiry sections intended to support teaching and research activities.

In Kaduna State, Tinubu inaugurated two landmark projects at the Nigerian Defence Academy’s Afaka Campus-a remodelled Senate Building and a newly established Biodiversity and Conservation Centre.

The upgraded Senate Building features a 60-seat council chamber, conference suites, executive offices, modern security systems, fire suppression facilities, lift installations and a solar-powered backup system. The Biodiversity and Conservation Centre is expected to boost environmental research and conservation studies within the institution.

At Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic in Kazaure, Jigawa State, the President commissioned a new classroom complex built under TETFund’s 2024 Special High Impact Intervention programme. The project is expected to address longstanding classroom shortages and provide a more conducive learning environment for students pursuing technical and vocational education.

The polytechnic is regarded as one of the leading technical institutions in the North-West, producing skilled manpower in engineering, applied sciences, environmental studies and business management.

Similarly, at Sa’adu Zungur University, Gadau Campus, Bauchi State, Tinubu inaugurated a newly completed student hostel constructed under the TETFund 2024 Annual Intervention programme.

Built at a cost of N738.96 million and completed within 48 weeks, the hostel is expected to ease accommodation challenges faced by students and support the university’s growing enrolment.

Speaking during the commissioning exercise, the President described tertiary institutions as critical to Nigeria’s long-term development strategy, stressing that investments in education would have far-reaching benefits for future generations.

“When you build a classroom, you build a generation,” Tinubu said, noting that investments in colleges of education, polytechnics and universities would shape the quality of learning and human capital development across the country for decades.

The President also underscored the importance of investing in military education, saying the Nigerian Defence Academy remains central to the training and development of the nation’s armed forces.

“Our Armed Forces deserve the best — in training, in equipment and in the institutions that shape their character. The Nigerian Defence Academy stands at the heart of that mission, and we will continue to invest in its future,” he said.

Tinubu further described polytechnics as the backbone of Nigeria’s technical workforce, pledging continued investment in facilities and manpower development to equip young Nigerians with practical skills needed to drive economic growth.

He commended the Federal Ministry of Education, TETFund, contractors, consultants and managements of the beneficiary institutions for ensuring the successful delivery of the projects.

The President urged staff and students to make optimal use of the facilities and ensure proper maintenance to preserve their value.

The projects form part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts under the Renewed Hope Agenda to modernise educational infrastructure, improve learning outcomes and expand access to quality tertiary education across the country.