The Federal Government has announced a seven-year moratorium on establishing new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, citing overstretched resources, underutilised institutions, and declining academic standards.
The decision, approved at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, followed a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Despite the freeze, FEC approved nine new private universities whose applications had been pending for up to six years and had undergone full evaluation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Alausa explained that the challenge in Nigeria’s tertiary education system was no longer access, but inefficiency, inadequate infrastructure, poor staffing, and low enrolment across many existing institutions.
“Several federal universities operate far below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students. In one northern university, there are 1,200 staff serving fewer than 800 students. This is a waste of government resources,” he said.
Statistics presented by the minister revealed that 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications via the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) last year, with 34 recording zero applications. Similarly, many of the country’s 295 polytechnics and 219 colleges of education posted poor enrolment, including dozens with no applicants at all.
Alausa warned that unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions risked producing ill-prepared graduates, diminishing the global value of Nigerian degrees, and worsening unemployment.
The moratorium, he said, would allow the government to channel resources into upgrading facilities, hiring qualified staff, and expanding the carrying capacity of existing schools.
“If we want to improve quality and not be a laughing stock globally, the pragmatic step is to pause the establishment of new federal institutions,” Alausa stated.
Nigeria currently boasts 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, alongside hundreds of state-owned and private tertiary institutions.
The minister stressed that the ban also extends to new private polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent further under-enrolment. He described the move as a “reset button” for Nigeria’s tertiary education, applauding President Tinubu for backing the reform.
“Mr President believes fervently in education and has given us the mandate to ensure every Nigerian has access to the highest quality of education comparable to anywhere in the world,” Alausa said.
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