The Federal Government has announced a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, citing under-utilisation, dwindling enrolment, and overstretched resources in existing institutions.
The decision was made during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, and presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
The move followed a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Despite the freeze, FEC still approved the establishment of nine new universities, all of which are private institutions.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Alausa explained that Nigeria’s current challenge in the tertiary education sector is not access but inefficiency, duplication, poor infrastructure, and staffing issues.
“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.
According to the minister, a shocking number of institutions are under-subscribed. Last year, 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), with 34 recording zero applications.
The problem is even more pronounced in polytechnics and colleges of education. Alausa noted that out of 295 polytechnics, many received fewer than 99 applicants, while among the 219 colleges of education, 64 recorded no applications at all.
He warned that the unchecked proliferation of under-enrolled institutions was dangerous for the country’s education system.
“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 said.
He added that the goal of the moratorium is to allow the government to focus on improving existing institutions, including upgrades to infrastructure, recruitment of qualified personnel, and increasing the carrying capacity of schools already in operation.
“Unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions risked producing ill-prepared graduates, eroding the value of Nigerian degrees internationally, and worsening unemployment,” he said.
Currently, Nigeria has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, alongside numerous state-owned and private institutions, as well as specialised colleges.
Despite the freeze on new federal institutions, the FEC approved nine new private universities during the meeting.
Alausa clarified that these institutions had pending applications for up to six years, and had now met the National Universities Commission (NUC)’s full evaluation requirements.
“When we assumed office, there were 551 applications for private universities. Many had been stuck due to inefficiencies at the NUC. We deactivated over 350 dormant applications and set new, stricter guidelines. Of the 79 active cases, nine met the criteria and were approved,” he said.
He revealed that these nine institutions had already received billions of naira in infrastructure investment, further justifying their approval.
In line with the broader reform, Alausa confirmed that the moratorium also applies to new private polytechnics and colleges of education, aiming to curb poor enrolment and duplication across the sector.
The education minister praised President Tinubu for endorsing the decision and supporting the education reform agenda.
“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 added.
