The Federal Government of Nigeria has implemented a seven-year ban on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
This decision, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council, is a direct response to issues such as under-utilized institutions, limited resources, and a decline in academic quality.
According to Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, the main issue within the tertiary education system is not a lack of access but rather the inefficient duplication of institutions, poor infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and low student enrollment.
For instance, some federal universities have student populations of fewer than 2,000, and many institutions received very few or no applications last year.
Alausa highlighted that the unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions could result in graduates who are not well-prepared, which could in turn devalue Nigerian degrees globally.
The purpose of this ban is to give the government time to concentrate on enhancing existing institutions by upgrading facilities, hiring qualified staff, and increasing their capacity.
While the ban is in effect, the Federal Executive Council did approve nine new private universities.
Alausa clarified that these institutions had been in the approval process for up to six years and had successfully met strict criteria after a thorough evaluation by the National Universities Commission.
He also confirmed that the moratorium applies to new private polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent further under-enrollment.
President Bola Tinubu is a strong advocate for this reform, seeing it as a vital step toward improving the quality of education in Nigeria to a global standard.
