The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa has vowed to return the Federal Science and Technical Colleges (FSTC) to its original status of Federal Technical Colleges (FTC) from September 2025.
This he said is a bold commitment to restoring Nigeria’s education system to the high standards it enjoyed decades ago.
Alausa, during a meeting with Principals of Federal Unity Colleges (FUC) in Abuja on Wednesday, pledged support of principals to reform the unity colleges.
He pledged tighter regulation of school admissions, and stronger engagement with frontline educators.
“We’re going back to where it was 40 years ago. We had a good education system. That’s what we’re doing, and we’re sprinting to get things back.”
He noted significant progress already underway in education quality and reaffirmed the government’s dedication to listening and collaborating directly with teachers and school administrators.
Acknowledging the critical role of teachers, the Minister said, “You are the ones on the field teaching our students, identifying what we need to improve together.”
He emphasised that education authorities would not remain distant from on-the-ground realities but would maintain open dialogue with educators.
On the issue of overcrowding in schools, the Minister issued a firm directive that no unity College should admit more students than its designated capacity.
“If anyone admits more than one student beyond your current capacity, you will not be the principal the next day,” he warned.
Highlighting the dangerous consequences of overpopulation, he cited example of FSTC in Yaba, where nearly 3,800 students were enrolled despite lacking the infrastructure to safely support them.
He added that even premier schools like King’s College Lagos was suffering from overpopulation, noting the old campus, originally designed for fewer than 600 students, now holds nearly 2,500.
The Minister maintained that political interference would no longer be tolerated in the admissions process.
“If anybody says ‘minister’s candidate,’ they are not my candidate,” he declared, urging principals to ignore such pressures and follow protocol strictly.
In addition, Alausa emphasised on the need to look into school hygiene, restructuring of Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), and concerns over dual leadership structures within schools.
