Tunji Alausa, minister of education, says federal unity colleges across the country are grappling with a deficit of more than 3,500 teachers.
Alausa spoke on Thursday while defending the federal ministry of education’s 2026 budget estimates before the senate and house of representatives joint committee on education.
The minister told lawmakers that urgent funding is needed to recruit, train and retain competent teachers, stressing that closing the manpower gap is critical to improving learning outcomes and strengthening Nigeria’s human capital base.
Beyond the staffing crisis, Alausa said federal schools are also battling insecurity, poor infrastructure and inadequate learning facilities, which he linked directly to years of underfunding in the education sector.
He noted that many schools across the country remain unfenced and lack stable electricity, limiting their ability to deploy surveillance systems and other security measures, particularly in areas affected by kidnapping and banditry.