By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country.
The decision, announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Wednesday, aims to address declining standards and infrastructure challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
The ban, which takes immediate effect, is intended to curb duplication, optimize resources, and improve existing institutions.
Alausa stated that Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42 polytechnics, and 28 colleges of education, yet many struggle with low enrollment and inadequate facilities.
“Access to tertiary education is no longer the problem—quality is,” Alausa said.
He cited alarming statistics, including 199 universities with fewer than 100 applicants in the 2024/2025 academic session and 34 institutions with zero applicants.
Similar trends were observed in polytechnics and colleges of education.
The minister emphasized that the moratorium will allow the government to focus on upgrading infrastructure, enhancing staff capacity, and expanding the carrying capacities of current institutions.
He also warned that unchecked expansion risks producing unemployable graduates. Meanwhile, FEC approved nine new private universities, clarifying that these were long-pending applications.
Alausa noted that stricter guidelines would soon apply to private institutions to prevent unchecked growth at the expense of quality.