The Federal Government has imposed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. This decision aims to address the proliferation of under-utilized institutions, overstretched resources, and declining academic quality.
The announcement was made at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, presented the rationale behind this decision.
Alausa explained that the challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education system are no longer related to access but rather to inefficient duplication, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient staffing, and declining enrollment in many existing institutions. He highlighted that several federal universities operate below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students. For example, one northern university has 1,200 staff serving fewer than 800 students.
He reported that 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications through JAMB last year, with 34 recording zero applications. Additionally, many of the 295 polytechnics had fewer than 99 applicants, and 64 colleges of education posted poor enrollment figures.
Alausa warned that unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions risks producing ill-prepared graduates, which could erode the value of Nigerian degrees internationally and exacerbate unemployment. The moratorium will allow the government to focus resources on upgrading facilities, hiring qualified staff, and expanding the capacity of existing institutions.
Despite the freeze on new federal institutions, the minister confirmed that FEC approved nine new private universities at the meeting. These applications had been pending for up to six years and had undergone thorough evaluation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Alausa emphasized that the moratorium also extends to new private polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent further under-enrollment. He commended President Tinubu for supporting this reform, describing it as a “reset button” for Nigeria’s tertiary education.
“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,” he stated.
