Education

FG imposes 7-year ban on new Federal universities, polytechnics, colleges

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a seven-year moratorium on establishing new federal tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education.
The decision affected universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide, aiming to address systemic decay caused by unregulated expansion and improve the quality of existing institutions.
Briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said access to tertiary education was no longer an issue in the country, but rather preserving and improving its quality.
The minister also cited examples of federal universities operating far below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students, and inefficient resource allocation
“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.
Alausa further said what was rampant was a duplication of new federal tertiary institutions, and a significant reduction in the current capacity of each of these institutions, tertiary institutions, universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
In the memo, which was approved in the council meeting, it was also stated that the ministry would review and reform the guidelines for the approval of new private universities to ensure efficiency.
He also added that it was observed that from the recent Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) admission exercise, many institutions had fewer than 100 applicants seeking admission.
Alausa warned that unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions risked producing ill-prepared graduates, eroding the value of Nigerian degrees internationally, and worsening unemployment.
He explained that the moratorium would enable the government to channel resources into upgrading facilities, hiring qualified staff members, and expanding the carrying capacity of existing institutions.
“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 added.
In the 2024/2025 academic session, 199 universities recorded fewer than 100 applicants, with 34 having zero applicants.
Similarly, 295 polytechnics and 64 colleges of education reported critically low or no applications.
The government will redirect funding and policy focus toward upgrading existing institutions, improving infrastructure, boosting manpower, and increasing capacity.
Despite the moratorium on new federal institutions, the FEC approved the licensing of nine new private universities, addressing pre-existing applications delayed by inefficiencies at the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The moratorium aims to enhance the quality and global competitiveness of Nigerian graduates.
By focusing on existing institutions, the government hopes to optimize resource utilization and reduce waste.
The move might limit access to education in underserved regions, sparking debates about the balance between quality and accessibility.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button