The Federal Government has announced a seven-year moratorium on establishing new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Nigeria.
The decision was announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, following Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The moratorium aims to address the unchecked growth of under-utilized institutions and redirect resources to enhance existing ones.
Dr. Alausa emphasized that access to tertiary education is no longer the country’s main challenge. Instead, the problem lies in the duplication of institutions, which has stretched resources thin, leading to poor infrastructure, insufficient staffing, and declining student enrollment.
Highlighting the situation, the minister cited a northern university with 1,200 staff serving fewer than 800 students. Currently, Nigeria has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education. However, in the latest JAMB admissions cycle, 199 universities received fewer than 100 applicants each, with 34 receiving none at all. Polytechnics and colleges of education faced similar challenges, with 64 colleges of education recording zero applicants.
“The moratorium will allow the government to concentrate on upgrading facilities, recruiting qualified staff, and increasing capacity in existing institutions,” Alausa explained. “Our goal is to maintain the quality of our graduates and preserve the international reputation they enjoy. Continuing the current trend risks producing poorly trained graduates and worsening unemployment.”
While the moratorium applies only to federal institutions, the FEC approved nine new private universities whose applications passed thorough evaluations. However, bans remain in place for new private polytechnics and colleges of education to curb further expansion.
Additionally, as part of broader reforms, the government is reviewing the Polytechnic Act to enable polytechnics to award Bachelor of Technology degrees. This change aims to reduce disparities between university and polytechnic education.
President Tinubu has given full backing to these reforms, describing them as essential to delivering “world-class education” to Nigerians.
