- Insists proliferation weakens quality, spreads resources thinly
- Says review of Polytechnic Act for award of Bachelors degree underway
BY EDMOND ODOK – Determined to check what it described as the infrastructure decay and declining quality in the tertiary education sector, the Federal Government says it will not establish new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in the country for the next seven years
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, said the seven-year moratorium is meant to halt the unchecked proliferation of under-utilised institutions that has led to inefficiencies, inadequate staffing, poor infrastructure, and dwindling student enrollment across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
Dr Alausa, further explained that access to tertiary education in Nigeria is no longer a major issue, but the duplication of federal institutions has stretched resources thin, leading to deteriorating infrastructure and a drop in graduate quality.
Speaking with State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council chambers, Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister lamented that this uncontrolled spread and establishment of universities has also resulted in most of these institutions operating far below capacity.
Offering further insight into the declining quality of education in the country, Dr Alausa said the moratorium, which applies to all categories of federal tertiary institutions was aimed at halting duplication and waste, while consolidating resources to upgrade existing facilities and manpower.
According to him, “Today we have 72 public federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, alongside hundreds of state and private institutions. Yet, in the 2024/2025 academic session, 199 universities had fewer than 100 candidates applying through JAMB, and 34 had zero applicants”.
The Minister also disclosed that 295 polytechnics, both public and private, had fewer than 100 applicants, while 64 colleges of education recorded zero applicants.
Citing a federal university with fewer than 800 students but 1,200 staff as an example of the inefficiencies and waste in the system, he warned that without urgent action, the unemployment rate would worsen as many graduates leave school without life skills.
Dr Alausa said the decision will enable government focus on rehabilitating infrastructure, recruiting and training staff, and expanding the carrying capacities of existing institutions, noting that some federal universities in certain northern states currently have fewer than 2,000 students.
He said the moratorium will ensure that Nigeria’s graduates maintain competitiveness and respect globally to align with President Tinubu’s mandate for the highest quality education comparable to international standards.
Importantly, the Minister said the goal is to improve education quality and sustain the international respect Nigeria’s graduates enjoy, warning that continuing the current trend risks producing poorly trained graduates and increasing unemployment.
However, Dr Alausa said, “Despite this freeze, the Federal Executive Council approved nine new private universities, which had long-pending applications that passed rigorous evaluation.
“These approvals do not affect the moratorium on federal institutions. Similarly, moratoriums are already in place for new private polytechnics and colleges of education to avoid further proliferation of under-subscribed institutions.
“President Bola Tinubu has strongly backed these reforms, aiming to deliver world-class education to Nigerians”.
On the possible contradictions in the FEC’s decision, Alausa explained that the approvals were for pre-existing applications, with some being over six years old, even as he blamed the delay on inefficiencies at the National Universities Commission (NUC).
He said on assuming office alongside the Minister of State for Education, there were 551 pending private university applications, many of which were inactive, explaining that new guidelines reduced active applications to 79, out of which only nine were approved having met all requirements.
Dr Alausa said the seven-year ban will hopefully reset Nigeria’s tertiary education system, prioritizing quality over quantity and ensuring sustainable development of higher education institutions.
Similarly, he said moratoriums will soon apply to the establishment of private universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to ensure quality is not sacrificed for expansion.
As part of the extensive reform, the Minister said the Polytechnic Act is being reviewed to enable polytechnics award Bachelor of Technology degrees, adding that the reform aims to address the current imbalance where university education is preferred over polytechnic education in Nigeria.
