The Nigerian government has placed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
This decision was made at the Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
According to Minister of Education Tunji Alausa, the ban aims to address the declining quality of education and infrastructure challenges in the nation’s tertiary education sector.
With 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education already in existence, the government believes it’s essential to focus on rehabilitating decayed infrastructure, hiring qualified lecturers, and expanding the capacity of existing institutions.
The minister highlighted stark inefficiencies in the system, citing examples of institutions with extremely low enrollment numbers.
For instance, 199 universities had fewer than 100 candidates applying through JAMB in the 2024/2025 academic session, and 34 had zero applicants. Similarly, 295 polytechnics and 64 colleges of education reported critically low or no applications.
This move is expected to ensure Nigerian graduates remain competitive globally, aligning with President Tinubu’s directive to deliver education that meets international standards.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has previously condemned the mass establishment of universities, describing it as “reckless and excessive”.
