JUST IN: Bill To Relocate Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa Suffers Setback In Senate
The Senate on Tuesday stepped down a bill seeking to relocate a Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa to Nasarawa Eggon following concerns raised by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Envulu-Anza Danladi (APC-Nasarawa North) sought to relocate the Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa West to Nasarawa Eggon in Nasarawa North.
Akpabio advised the senator to introduce fresh legislation seeking the establishment of a new Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa Eggon instead of relocating the existing institution.
The Senate President gave the advice during plenary during the consideration of the Federal Polytechnics Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by Danladi
Presenting the bill, Danladi said the Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa West had been upgraded to a university, leaving Nasarawa North without a federal tertiary institution.
He said the proposed relocation would address the educational needs of his constituents and provide access to federal tertiary education in Nasarawa North.
“The Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa West senatorial district has been upgraded to a university status, and my bill is to urge this hallowed chamber to relocate the upgraded Polytechnic to Nasarawa Eggon in Nasarawa North,” he said.
Danladi added that Nasarawa North currently lacked a federal institution of higher learning, making the proposed relocation necessary to address the imbalance.
“We in Nasarawa North Senatorial District do not have any federal institution,” he added.
However, Akpabio argued that the bill could not proceed in its current form because the institution proposed for relocation had already been upgraded to university status.
He explained that relocating the institution under the proposed amendment could amount to moving the university, adding that it could provoke opposition from its host community.
“Your bill cannot go for second reading because you are talking about relocation. If you relocate it, it has already been upgraded to university status, so if you relocate it, you are relocating the university and the whole community will not be happy,” Akpabio said.
The senate president urged Danladi to allow the upgraded institution to remain in its current location and sponsor a fresh bill to establish another federal polytechnic in Nasarawa Eggon.
“What you need to do is, in view of the fact that the existing federal polytechnic has been upgraded, leave it where it is, then bring a fresh bill for a federal polytechnic to be created in Nasarawa Eggon.
“The Senate will support you, and I believe the President will support you, because that is like replacing the old Federal Polytechnic, because that one no longer exists. It has been upgraded,” he said.
Akpabio compared the situation to upgrading a primary school to a secondary school, explaining that the former could no longer be treated as an existing institution.
“If you have a primary school in your village and then you request and the Federal Government upgrades the primary school to a secondary school, that primary school
no longer exists,” he emphasised.
He maintained that establishing a new federal Polytechnic through fresh legislation would provide an appropriate legal basis for addressing the educational needs of Nasarawa North.
Responding, Danladi accepted the senate president’s advice and thanked him for the clarification, saying that the senate president’s proposed approach would be appropriate.
“I think that should be the best way. Your Excellency, I am most obliged for this guidance,” Danladi said.
The bill was subsequently stepped down to enable Danladi to prepare and present fresh legislation seeking to establish a Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa Eggon
