The Federal Government has placed a seven-year suspension on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country.
The policy was approved on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
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Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said the moratorium was necessary to address inefficiencies in the existing institutions before establishing new ones.
He revealed that the decision was prompted by alarming enrollment figures in the 2024/2025 academic session, with 199 universities attracting fewer than 100 applicants through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and 34 receiving none at all. Some federal universities, he added, operate with fewer than 800 students but employ more than 1,200 staff, raising concerns about waste and poor resource utilization.
Similar trends were recorded in other tertiary categories, with 295 polytechnics enrolling fewer than 100 students and 64 colleges of education receiving no applications. Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42 polytechnics, and 28 colleges of education.
According to the minister, the suspension will allow the government to focus on upgrading infrastructure, recruiting qualified lecturers, and expanding the capacity of existing schools. The ultimate goal, he said, is to improve the quality of graduates and ensure they can compete globally.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that poor funding and deteriorating facilities in public universities remain unresolved issues. The union has also hinted at possible industrial action if urgent interventions are not made.
