Reps urge varsities to partner with private sector to build hostels

March 3, 2021 11:20 pm

The house of representatives, on Wednesday, passed a resolution asking tertiary institutions to partner with private organisations build hostels for students in the country.

The resolution of the lower chamber followed a motion sponsored by Olalekan Afolabi, lawmaker representing Odo Otin/Ifelodun/Boripe federal constituency in Osun state.

Moving the motion titled: “Parlous State of Hostels in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria”, Afolabi said many hostels in the country are dilapidated and without basic social amenities.

According to the lawmaker, the dilapidated state of hostels reduces the self-worth and quality output of the students.

“Students’ academic performances are hinged primarily on the provisions of adequate learning infrastructure and basic amenities,” Afolabi said.

“A demeaning environment would invariably expose students to recurrent environmental and health hazards such as cholera, dysentery, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, skin infections, frequent visits to the hospital, and sometimes death.

“Hostel accommodation deficit being faced by Nigeria’s higher institutions requires public-private partnership (PPP) intervention, a situation, if exploited by higher institutions, can accommodate 10 percent of their students.

“Living in squalor reduces the self-worth of students, and ultimately, the quality of output as future leaders of the society, as 10 or more students are sometimes officially assigned to a room meant for not more than five students.”

The motion was adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Femi Gbajamiamila, speaker of the house.

The house directed “all tertiary institutions to partner with private institutions to build hostels and operate by the developers in a way that would allow the developers to dispose off the property to the university after an agreeable time”.

The green chamber also asked the “government to pay adequate attention to the education sector, ranging from funding, curriculum review and infrastructural development”.