JUST IN: FG halts creation of new tertiary institutions

The Federal Government has announced a seven-year suspension on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education as part of efforts to address declining quality and overstretched infrastructure in the tertiary education sector.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed the decision to State House correspondents after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Alausa said the moratorium, which applies to all categories of federal tertiary institutions, is aimed at stopping duplication, curbing waste, and consolidating resources to improve existing facilities and manpower.

According to him, Nigeria’s challenge is no longer access to tertiary education, but the proliferation of poorly funded institutions that has weakened infrastructure and reduced graduate quality.

He revealed that during the 2024/2025 academic session, 199 universities recorded fewer than 100 applicants through JAMB, while 34 received none at all. Similarly, 295 polytechnics had fewer than 100 applicants, and 64 colleges of education recorded zero applications.

Alausa also cited cases of inefficiency, including a federal university with fewer than 800 students but 1,200 staff. Some northern federal universities, he noted, have fewer than 2,000 students enrolled.

The minister stressed that the suspension would allow government to rehabilitate infrastructure, recruit and train staff, and expand the carrying capacity of existing institutions in line with President Tinubu’s goal of achieving global education standards.

While confirming that FEC approved nine new private universities, Alausa explained that they were long-pending applications, some over six years old, processed before the moratorium decision. He added that similar restrictions will soon be applied to the creation of new private tertiary institutions to ensure quality is not sacrificed for expansion.