FG Places 7-Year Freeze on New Federal Tertiary Institutions

By Kamal Yalwa – August 13, 2025

The Federal Government has imposed a seven-year suspension on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, citing under-utilisation, overstretched resources, and declining academic standards.

The decision, approved at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, followed a presentation by Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa.

Alausa told State House correspondents that Nigeria’s tertiary education sector was facing a quality crisis rather than an access problem, with many institutions suffering from low enrolment, inadequate infrastructure, and excessive staffing relative to student numbers.

“Several federal universities operate far below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students. In one northern university, 1,200 staff serve fewer than 800 students. This is a waste of government resources,” he said.

Statistics from the ministry show that last year, 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications through JAMB, with 34 getting none at all. Of the 295 polytechnics in the country, many attracted fewer than 99 applicants, while 64 of 219 colleges of education recorded zero applications.

Alausa warned that the proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions risked producing underqualified graduates, tarnishing the reputation of Nigerian degrees internationally, and worsening unemployment.

The minister said the moratorium would give government time to focus on upgrading facilities, recruiting qualified staff, and expanding the capacity of existing institutions.

“If we want to improve quality and not be a laughing stock globally, the pragmatic step is to pause the establishment of new federal institutions,” he stated.

Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, in addition to hundreds of state-owned and private tertiary institutions.

Alausa clarified that the freeze applies only to new federal institutions. The FEC also approved nine new private universities at the meeting, noting that these had already met all licensing and regulatory requirements.