The Federal Government has announced a seven-year suspension on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, citing overstretched resources, under-utilised institutions, and declining academic quality.
The decision was approved at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa.
Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, Alausa said the key challenge in Nigeria’s tertiary education system was no longer access, but inefficiency and duplication. He pointed to poor infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and dwindling enrolment across many existing institutions.
According to him, statistics from last year’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) applications revealed that 199 universities had fewer than 100 applicants, while 34 received no applications at all. Among the country’s 295 polytechnics, many recorded fewer than 99 applicants, and 219 colleges of education posted similarly low figures, with 64 attracting no applications.
Alausa warned that the unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions could produce ill-prepared graduates, diminish the global value of Nigerian degrees, and worsen unemployment.
He explained that the moratorium would allow the government to focus on upgrading existing facilities, hiring qualified academic staff, and expanding the carrying capacity of current institutions to meet national development needs.