Closure of unlicensed private tertiary institutions impacts Katsina’s IGR – Commissioner

Muhammad Kankara, Katsina State Commissioner for Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, has acknowledged that the recent closure of unlicensed private tertiary institutions in the state has adversely impacted the ministry’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) projections for the 2026 fiscal year.

He made this disclosure on Friday during the ministry’s 2026 pre-budget defence session before the committee chaired by Malik Anas, the commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, in Katsina.

He added that the ministry’s revenue from tertiary education is expected to decline sharply compared to previous years, as many of the closed institutions had been major sources of income.

“Our expectations for IGR this year will be lower than usual because many of these private schools which used to generate revenue for the state have been suspended. We can only restore those funds when they regularise their operations,” he explained.

During the session, Anas told the commissioner to provide a detailed list of all licensed and unlicensed institutions, along with the revenue projections from each.

He emphasised the need for transparency and realistic budgeting, urging the ministry to make such information accessible.

Responding, Kankara said the ministry is already compiling the necessary data and will submit a full report to the committee.

He added that only seven out of 39 private tertiary institutions are currently recognised and operational in the State following the closure exercise.

The committee commended the ministry for its regulatory vigilance but directed it to provide updated records of all tertiary institutions before and after the closure exercise.

It also tasked the ministry with forecasting the number of schools expected to regain accreditation before the next fiscal year to aid accurate budgeting.

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Recall, the Katsina State Government has ordered the closure of private tertiary institutions operating without proper accreditation or licenses from regulatory bodies.

Investigation revealed that many private tertiary institutions in the state were running illegally without meeting national standards.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner earlier said the decision to shut them down was necessary to protect students and maintain standards of education across the state.

According to him, “Our findings show that a number of these private tertiary institutions have been operating without approval from relevant regulatory bodies,” he said.