The Federal Government has placed a seven-year ban on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in the country.
The policy, approved at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu, is aimed at tackling the proliferation of poorly utilised institutions and improving the quality of tertiary education.
Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said government’s priority will now be to strengthen existing institutions rather than create new ones.
“Access to tertiary education in Nigeria is no longer the challenge. The unregulated duplication of federal institutions has overstretched our resources, weakened infrastructure, and affected the quality of graduates,” he said.
Alausa disclosed that statistics from last year’s admission cycle showed 199 universities recorded less than 100 applicants through JAMB, with 34 getting no applicants at all. He added that 64 colleges of education also failed to attract any candidates.
The minister cited the example of a northern university with about 1,200 staff members serving fewer than 800 students, saying such inefficiencies must be addressed.
“If we want to improve quality and avoid becoming a global laughing stock, the practical step is to stop establishing new federal institutions for now,” he said.
He explained that the moratorium would give government time to upgrade infrastructure, recruit more qualified lecturers, and expand capacities in line with President Tinubu’s vision for a world-class education system.
However, FEC approved nine new private universities, which the minister said were applications pending for years but had met all the requirements after rigorous evaluation.
Alausa added that government is considering similar restrictions on the establishment of new private polytechnics and colleges of education to curb further overexpansion in the sector.
