FG APPROVES SEVEN-YEAR BAN ON ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, approved a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

The ban, which covers universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, is aimed at curbing the proliferation of institutions and addressing declining infrastructure and manpower.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, explained that the challenge in the sector is no longer access to federal tertiary education but the duplication of institutions operating far below capacity.

“If we do not act decisively, it will lead to marked declines in educational quality and undermine the international respect that Nigerian graduates command,” he said.

According to Alausa, Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 108 state universities, and 159 private universities, in addition to hundreds of polytechnics, colleges of education, and allied institutions. Yet, many are under-enrolled, with some recording zero applicants.

He cited an example of a federal university in the north with fewer than 800 students but over 1,200 staff members, calling it “unsustainable.”

The minister said the government will focus resources on upgrading existing institutions, improving facilities, strengthening manpower, and increasing capacity rather than building new schools.

FEC also approved the establishment of nine new private universities, which were part of a backlog of applications—some pending for over six years—under the National Universities Commission (NUC). The approvals followed a rigorous review process, with over 350 inactive applications deactivated.

The moratorium will also apply to private universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, with strict new standards for future approvals.

Alausa warned that failure to act could worsen graduate unemployment and weaken Nigeria’s education quality globally.