The Federal Government has placed a seven-year moratorium on establishing new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, citing overstretched resources, poor enrolment, and declining academic standards.
The decision, approved at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu, followed a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Alausa said the major challenge in Nigeria’s tertiary education was no longer access, but inefficiency, poor infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and the under-utilisation of 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 — a clear waste of resources,” he said.
He disclosed that last year, 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications through JAMB, while 34 recorded none at all. Many polytechnics and colleges of education fared worse, with 64 colleges recording zero applications.
Warning that unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions risked producing ill-prepared graduates and eroding the value of Nigerian degrees, Alausa said the freeze would allow the government to focus on upgrading facilities, employing qualified staff, and expanding the capacity of existing institutions.
Despite the freeze, the FEC approved nine new universities — all private — whose applications had been pending for up to six years and had met new, stricter National Universities Commission (NUC) guidelines. Billions of naira have already been invested in their infrastructure.
“When we assumed office, there were 551 applications for private universities. We deactivated over 350 dormant ones and, out of 79 active cases, nine met the criteria and were approved,” Alausa explained.
He stressed that the moratorium also covers new private polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent further under-enrolment, describing the policy as a “reset button” for Nigeria’s tertiary education.
“Mr. President believes fervently in education and has mandated us to ensure every Nigerian has access to the highest quality of education comparable to anywhere in the world,” he added.