The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a major restructuring plan for the 115 Federal Unity Colleges across the country. This initiative, revealed by Dr. Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, during the Annual General Meeting of Principals of Unity Colleges in Abuja on September 17, 2024, aims to unbundle these institutions into separate basic and secondary schools.
The restructuring aligns with the National Policy on Education (NPE) and is expected to attract more funding to improve infrastructure, address teachers' welfare, and create new employment opportunities.
Dr. Sununu emphasized the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among students to combat unemployment and promote self-reliance. He stated, "Entrepreneurship education offers a solution to this challenge as it prepares students to think creatively, innovatively, and develop the confidence to take calculated risks."
The minister also called for the collaboration of principals to curb social vices, instill a maintenance culture, and work with host communities to secure the colleges.
The unity schools project, which began in the mid-1960s, was initially established to foster inter-regional education and deemphasize tribal identity. The first three unity schools were set up in Okposi, Sokoto, and Warri in 1966. By the end of the civil war in 1970, more schools were created across the 12 states by the Yakubu Gowon government. Currently, there are 105 unity schools in Nigeria, designed to use education as a tool for fostering national unity through diverse admission policies and curricula that prioritize inter-relationships.
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