The Director-Basic of the Securities and Trade Fee (SEC), Dr Emomotimi Agama, has proposed the status quo of funding price range to finance scholar hostel building in Nigerian universities, as establishments fight with insufficient lodging amenities.
Agama made the proposal on Friday, October 9, 2026, whilst turning in the College of Ibadan Alumni Affiliation’s 2026 Annual Public Provider Lecture in Ibadan, Oyo State, themed “First and Highest — However Whose Capital Constructed It? Rethinking How Nigeria Budget Its Personal Long run.”
He argued that the dearth of scholar lodging, a problem affecting a number of tertiary establishments throughout Nigeria, might be transformed into an income-generating funding alternative fairly than handled only as an infrastructure disaster.
Agama proposes REITs for college hostels
Agama famous that roughly 30,000 College of Ibadan scholars these days reside out of doors the campus because of insufficient hostel amenities, developing a considerable condominium marketplace for inner most landlords in surrounding communities.
- “Thirty thousand scholars who can’t be housed in this campus are these days paying hire to personal landlords in Agbowo, Bodija and Sango. That could be a actual, ordinary, naira-denominated, demand-backed revenue circulation, and it’s these days being harvested via everyone except for this College,” he mentioned.
To handle the dearth, the SEC DG proposed setting up devoted scholar lodging funding cars thru actual property funding trusts (REITs), closed-ended price range or long-term hire preparations involving college land.
He defined that such preparations may just draw in institutional traders, together with pension price range, whilst producing returns thru condominium revenue. Underneath Nigerian laws, REITs will have to distribute no less than 90% in their taxable revenue yearly.
Agama additional defined that those funding constructions may just finance hostel building with out requiring universities to borrow in opposition to their common earnings or reveal their steadiness sheets to further monetary dangers.
- “It does now not require the College to borrow in opposition to its common earnings. It does now not put the establishment’s steadiness sheet in danger. The car is repaid from the rents the constructions themselves generate,” he added.
NANS raises alarm over hostel shortages
The dearth and deteriorating situation of scholar hostels have remained continual demanding situations throughout Nigerian tertiary establishments, forcing many scholars to hunt lodging out of doors their campuses.
- In July 2026, the Nationwide Affiliation of Nigerian Scholars (NANS) declared a countrywide emergency over worsening hostel prerequisites in universities, polytechnics and schools of training.
- The affiliation’s newly inaugurated President, Babatunde Akinteye, raised the fear right through the inauguration of its 2026 Nationwide Government Council in Abuja.
- Akinteye warned that insufficient and poorly maintained hostels threatened scholars’ protection, welfare and dignity.
The dearth of lodging inside campuses has additionally created a marketplace for inner most landlords in surrounding communities.
Scholars in search of lodging out of doors their campuses incessantly face prime condominium prices because of call for for restricted housing.
The continual scarcity has additionally strengthened the will for choice financing preparations to enlarge lodging amenities, as proposed via the SEC DG.
TETFund backs inner most hostel building partnerships
In spite of successive executive interventions in scholar lodging, many tertiary establishments proceed to stand vital hostel shortages, prompting rising hobby in choice financing preparations.
- In Would possibly 2024, Nairametrics reported that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) had earmarked N1 billion every for hostel building in 12 tertiary establishments underneath its 2024 intervention cycle.
- The intervention coated six universities, 3 polytechnics and 3 schools of training, with the investment supposed to fortify partnerships with inner most builders to enlarge scholar lodging.
- Non-public builders also are exploring funding alternatives within the scholar housing marketplace, specifically round universities with vital call for for lodging.
- In April 2026, a report published by Nairametrics highlighted Dantata Hostels, a personal scholar lodging building on a three.39-hectare website in Abuja’s Jabi district.
- The mission is situated beside Nile College and inside strolling distance of Baze College.
The advance displays rising private-sector hobby in offering purpose-built lodging round main tertiary establishments, as universities proceed to stand demanding situations in assembly scholar housing call for.