The Federal Government has announced a seven-year halt on creating new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
The move targets the spread of under-used institutions, overstretched funding, and falling academic standards.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the decision during its Wednesday meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a presentation from the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa.
Speaking to State House correspondents, Alausa said the problem in Nigeria’s tertiary education was no longer access but duplication, decaying facilities, inadequate personnel, and declining enrolment.
“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.
He revealed that 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications through JAMB last year, with 34 attracting none at all.
Of the 295 polytechnics across the country, many had fewer than 99 applicants, while 219 colleges of education also recorded poor figures, including 64 that got no applications.
Alausa warned that leaving poorly subscribed schools unchecked could lead to poorly trained graduates, further devalue Nigerian degrees abroad, and deepen unemployment.
He said the pause would allow government to upgrade existing campuses, hire qualified staff, and expand capacity.
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“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 said.
Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, alongside numerous state-owned, private, and specialised schools.
Despite the freeze, FEC also approved nine new universities. These, Alausa clarified, were private institutions whose applications had been pending for up to six years and had already passed National Universities Commission (NUC) assessments.
“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, adding that billions of naira had already been invested in their facilities.
He noted that the moratorium also applies to new private polytechnics and colleges of education to avoid worsening under-enrolment.
Alausa praised President Tinubu for backing the reform, calling it a “reset button” for the country’s tertiary education.
“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 said.