FG Bans New Federal Universities for Seven Years

The Federal Government has placed a seven-year freeze on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, in a bid to tackle under-utilisation, poor enrolment, and declining academic standards.

The decision was reached at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa. He explained that many existing institutions operate far below capacity, with some universities having fewer than 2,000 students and others recording no applications through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board last year.

Alausa warned that unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions could lead to the production of ill-prepared graduates and further erode the global value of Nigerian degrees. He said the moratorium would allow the government to concentrate resources on upgrading infrastructure, recruiting qualified staff, and expanding the capacity of existing schools.

Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education. Despite the freeze, FEC approved nine new private universities whose applications had been pending for up to six years and had met the National Universities Commission’s criteria. The minister confirmed that the pause also covers the establishment of new private polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent further under-enrolment.