No More New Universities As FG Suspends Establishment  For Seven Years

By Ayodele Oni

Decayed infrastructure in Universities and paucity of fund have compelled the Federal Executive Council (FEC), to embargo establishment of new Federal Universities, Polytechnic, and Colleges of Education nationwide.

The suspension will last seven years, according to the Minister for Education, Tunji Alausa.

Alausa, said the decision takes effect immediately and is designed to address falling academic standards and infrastructure deficiencies in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

“The freeze aims to channel resources into revitalising existing institutions rather than creating new ones.”

Speaking to State House correspondents after the FEC meeting in Abuja presided over by President Bola Tinubu,  Alausa stressed that the proliferation of Federal institutions had overstretched available resources.

“Access to tertiary education is no longer the issue. The challenge is the duplication of institutions, which has stretched resources thin and compromised quality.”

Official figures show that Nigeria currently operates 72 Federal Universities, 42 Federal Polytechnics, and 28 Federal Colleges of Education, in addition to state-owned and private institutions.

Yet, for the 2024/2025 academic year, 199 universities received fewer than 100 applicants via the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), with 34 recording zero applications.

Polytechnics and Colleges of Education also saw alarming numbers, with 295 Polytechnic and 64 Colleges reporting critically low or no applications.

Dr. Alausa highlighted one Federal University with fewer than 800 students, but over 1,200 staff, calling it a clear example of unsustainable resource use.

“The decision supports President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises delivering education that meets global standards.”

Alausa pointed out that the moratorium period will be used to improve infrastructure, enhance staff recruitment and training, and increase the capacity of existing schools.

In a related move, FEC approved the licensing of nine new private universities, based on pending applications previously delayed at the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Of 551 applications inherited by the current administration, only 79 remained active, with nine meeting the requirements.

Dr. Alausa indicated that a similar moratorium on private universities might be considered in future to safeguard quality.

Meanwhile, the government has allocated ₦110 billion through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for 18 specialised health universities, marking a targeted approach to addressing key sectoral needs.