By Uko Destiny
On June 17, 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed landmark bills to establish three new universities: the Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies in Iragbiji (Osun State), the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences in Iyin Ekiti (Ekiti State), and the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoni/Tai (Rivers State).
These moves bring the number of federal tertiary institutions in the country to 65, continuing the surge of new tertiary institutions initiated under Tinubu’s administration.
While these additions are welcomed, they also raise a critical question: Are Nigerian federal institutions equitably distributed across the six geopolitical zones–Northcentral, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southsouth, and Southwest?
Since 2023, over a dozen new federal tertiary institutions have been created across several states, including Zamfara, Edo, Delta, Adamawa, Kaduna and Rivers. A handful of polytechnics and colleges of education have also been founded in Kano, Jigawa, and Akwa Ibom. More recently, the Federal Polytechnic in Ilaro, Ogun State, was upgraded to the Federal University of Technology, Ilaro.
While this expansion touches multiple zones, distribution remains uneven.
Areas Still Underserved
The Southeast and Northeast zones continue to lag in terms of the number of federal institutions. Despite its dense population, the Southeast hosts fewer federal institutions compared with regions like the Southwest and Northcentral. Similarly, large parts of the North East remain under-represented.
Even in states, inequity persists. For instance, in Kaduna State, multiple federal institutions are located in and around Zaria, with only one federal university in Southern Kaduna.
The government argues that each new institution is designed to address local economic or environmental needs. For example, the university in Rivers State focuses on environmental sciences, addressing oil degradation in Ogoniland. But critics argue that expanding without a clear zonal equity framework only deepens existing imbalances.
To address this imbalance, Nigeria must prioritise zonal fairness when planning future institutions. Policy analysts recommend using a population-based access ratio–such as institution per 1 million residents per zone–to guide new federal projects. This data-driven approach could highlight underserved areas and help ensure more equitable development.
Additionally, the funding allocation formula used by TETFund should be reviewed to emphasise historical imbalance alongside current needs. This would help allow underfunded zones to receive greater priority in the next wave of institutional planning.
For these new institutions to thrive, collaboration is essential. Federal authorities must work with state governments, local traditional leaders, and the private sector to ensure land, infrastructure, and staffing are established from day one. Without these, new universities risk becoming under-resourced and underperforming.
President Tinubu’s administration has taken giant steps to expand access to tertiary education. But ensuring that no zone, no state, and no citizen is left behind is the next step. National development requires more than just federal institutions: it demands functional, standard, and equitably distributed ones
The conversation around federal universities must shift to address fairness and functionality. Only then will these new universities stand, not just as political milestones, but as enduring institutions that deliver meaningful education for generations.
President Bola Tinubu signed into law the establishment of three new federal universities in Nigeria, raising the total to 65 federal tertiary institutions. However, concerns about equitable distribution arise, as some geopolitical zones like the Southeast and Northeast remain underserved, despite recent expansions across multiple zones, including new institutions in Zamfara, Edo, and Rivers. The bias persists even at the state level, as seen in Kaduna where most federal facilities are concentrated around Zaria.
Critics argue that the expansion lacks a clear zonal equity framework, exacerbating existing imbalances. To address this, policy analysts propose a population-based access ratio and suggest reviewing the TETFund's funding allocation formula to prioritize historically underfunded zones. Collaboration between federal and state governments, local leaders, and the private sector is crucial to ensure these new institutions are well-resourced from inception to avoid underperformance.
While the Tinubu administration's expansion aims to increase access to tertiary education, a focus on functional and equitable distribution of these institutions is necessary for true national development. The discourse on federal universities must emphasize fairness and functionality to ensure they provide meaningful education and stand as lasting achievements beyond political milestones.
