By Abdul Lauya
The Federal Government has announced a seven-year moratorium on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria.
The decision was reached on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Eye Reporters, the policy move aligns with one of the key demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to curb the proliferation of tertiary institutions.
Education Minister, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, presented the memo to FEC, citing the under-utilisation of many existing institutions.
He said the measure aims to channel resources toward improving infrastructure, staffing, and capacity in already established federal tertiary institutions.
ASUU had recently warned the Federal Government of a possible strike over unmet demands, including halting the proliferation of universities.
The union’s president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, described some state-owned institutions as “glorified secondary schools” lacking adequate facilities for effective learning.
ASUU has also raised concerns over TETFund resources being spread thin across too many underperforming institutions.
Dr. Alausa stressed that access to tertiary education was no longer the core issue but rather the unchecked duplication of federal institutions.
He revealed that several universities operate below capacity, with some enrolling fewer than 2,000 students.
In one northern university, he noted, 1,200 staff serve fewer than 800 students.
The minister disclosed that 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications each through JAMB, with 34 recording zero applications.
He added that 295 polytechnics and 219 colleges of education are experiencing similarly poor enrolment.
Sixty-four colleges of education had no applicants at all last year.
Alausa warned that the trend could lead to poorly trained graduates and declining global respect for Nigerian degrees.
The ban will allow government to upgrade facilities, recruit qualified staff, and expand the carrying capacity of existing institutions.
Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education.
These are in addition to hundreds of state and privately owned tertiary institutions, many of which are under-enrolled.
Despite the moratorium, FEC approved nine new universities from long-standing private applications.
Alausa explained that these applications, some over six years old, had already passed NUC evaluation.
He said his ministry streamlined the NUC process, deactivated 350 inactive applications, and approved only those meeting new standards.
The minister emphasised that the freeze applies only to federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Similar moratoriums are in place for new private polytechnics and colleges of education to curb oversupply.
Alausa praised President Tinubu for backing the reforms aimed at delivering world-class education.
The seven-year pause, he said, will serve as a reset button to prioritise quality over quantity in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
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