No New Federal Universities, Polytechnics, Or Colleges For Seven Years – FG

The Federal Government has announced a sweeping seven-year moratorium on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, aiming to halt the proliferation of under-utilised institutions and channel resources toward strengthening existing ones.

According to Ireporter Online, the decision was reached during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, chaired by President Bola Tinubu, following a memo from the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa.

The minister argued that access to tertiary education is no longer the main challenge; instead, unchecked duplication of institutions has resulted in inefficiencies, weak infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and low student enrolment.

Citing shocking statistics, Alausa disclosed that some federal universities operate with fewer than 2,000 students, and in one northern institution, 1,200 staff cater to fewer than 800 students.

“This is a waste of government resources,” he said, adding that 34 universities recorded zero applications through JAMB this year, while dozens of polytechnics and colleges of education saw single-digit interest or none at all.

According to Ireporter Online, the minister warned that without intervention, Nigeria risks producing poorly trained graduates, further damaging the global reputation of its degrees.

The moratorium, Alausa stressed, will enable the government to mobilise resources to upgrade existing facilities, hire qualified lecturers, and expand the capacity of current federal institutions.

He pointed out that the freeze will not affect nine newly approved universities, as these were long-pending private applications that had passed rigorous National Universities Commission (NUC) vetting.

According to Ireporter Online, similar restrictions are already in place for new private polytechnics and colleges of education to avoid an oversupply of poorly subscribed schools.

Praising President Tinubu for endorsing the reforms, Alausa described the seven-year freeze as a “reset button” for Nigeria’s higher education system, shifting the focus from quantity to quality in line with global standards.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”