By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Federal Government has announced a seven-year freeze on establishing new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. The move, it says, is to curb the proliferation of under-utilised institutions, ease pressure on overstretched resources, and reverse a steady decline in academic standards.
The policy was endorsed on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Alausa stressed that the challenge facing Nigeria’s tertiary education system is no longer access but the duplication of poorly subscribed institutions, inadequate infrastructure, and dwindling enrolment numbers.
“Several federal universities operate far below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students,” the minister said. “In one northern university, there are 1,200 staff serving fewer than 800 students. This is a waste of government resources.”
He disclosed that in 2024, 199 universities attracted fewer than 100 applications through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), while 34 institutions recorded zero applicants. Of the 295 polytechnics nationwide, many received fewer than 99 applications, and among 219 colleges of education, 64 got no applications at all.
“Unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions risks producing ill-prepared graduates, eroding the value of Nigerian degrees internationally, and worsening unemployment,” he warned.
Alausa explained that the suspension will allow the government to concentrate on upgrading existing facilities, employing qualified lecturers, and expanding the capacity of current schools.
“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,” he stated.
Currently, Nigeria has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, in addition to hundreds of state-owned and private tertiary institutions, plus specialised schools such as colleges of agriculture, health sciences, and nursing.
Despite the moratorium, FEC approved nine new universities during the meeting. The minister clarified that these were private institutions whose applications had been pending for as long as six years, and had already passed comprehensive evaluation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
“When we assumed office, there were 551 applications for private universities. Many had been stuck due to inefficiencies at the NUC,” he revealed. “We deactivated over 350 dormant applications and set new, stricter guidelines. Of the 79 active cases, nine met the criteria and were approved.”
According to Alausa, billions of naira have already been invested in the infrastructure of the newly approved private universities. He further confirmed that the freeze on new institutions extends to private polytechnics and colleges of education to avoid worsening the problem of under-enrolment.
Commending the President for supporting the reform, the minister described the policy as a “reset button” for Nigeria’s higher education sector.
“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,” Alausa added.