President Bola Tinubu has reminded Nigerians that at in 1960 when Nigeria got its independence, it had only two higher institutions: the University of Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
He said this as he highlighted the progress the country has made despite the challenges it has faced over the years.
In his Independence Day broadcast on Wednesday morning, Tinubu said progress in the education sector has been so significant that by the end of last year, there were 274 universities, 183 Polytechnics, and 236 Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
He said, “Although, it is much easier for those whose vocation is to focus solely on what ought to be, we must recognise and celebrate our significant progress. Nigerians today have access to better education and healthcare than in 1960. At Independence, Nigeria had 120 secondary schools with a student population of about 130,000. Available data indicate that, as of year 2024, there were more than 23,000 secondary schools in our country.
“At Independence, we had only the University of Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology as the two tertiary institutions in Nigeria. By the end of last year, there were 274 universities, 183 Polytechnics, and 236 Colleges of Education in Nigeria, comprising Federal, State, and private institutions. We have experienced a significant surge in growth across every sector of our national life since Independence – in healthcare, infrastructure, financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, aviation and defence, among others.”
