The Federal Government has placed a seven-year ban on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. The decision, approved during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, aims to curb the proliferation of under-utilised institutions, address overstretched resources, and improve the quality of higher education in Nigeria.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who presented the proposal, explained that the problem in the tertiary education sector is no longer access but the inefficient duplication of institutions, poor infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and low enrolment rates.
He revealed that some federal universities operate far below capacity, with one northern institution having 1,200 staff members serving fewer than 800 students. Last year, 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), while 34 had no applications at all.
Polytechnics and colleges of education are also struggling with low enrolment. Many polytechnics had fewer than 99 applicants, while 64 colleges of education recorded zero applications. Alausa warned that this trend could result in poorly trained graduates, reduce the global value of Nigerian degrees, and worsen unemployment.
“This pause is necessary if we want to improve quality and not become a laughing stock internationally,” the minister said. He added that the moratorium will allow the government to focus on upgrading existing facilities, recruiting qualified lecturers, and expanding the capacity of current institutions.
Despite the freeze, FEC approved nine new private universities. Alausa explained that these were applications pending for up to six years, which had undergone full evaluation by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Out of 551 applications for private universities, over 350 were deactivated, leaving 79 active cases. Only nine met the requirements.
The moratorium also applies to new private polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent further under-enrolment. Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, in addition to hundreds of state-owned and private institutions.
Alausa described the move as a “reset button” for Nigeria’s tertiary education sector and commended President Tinubu for his commitment to delivering education that meets global standards.
Source:
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