FG Imposes 7-Year Ban on New Federal Universities, Polytechnics, Others

The Federal Government has approved a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

The decision, announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, followed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu. The ban covers universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Alausa explained that the move was aimed at addressing the underutilisation of previously approved institutions and curbing further strain on the nation’s educational infrastructure. He revealed that the administration inherited 551 requests for the establishment of tertiary institutions but reduced the number to 79 after introducing stricter approval guidelines.

“Some previously approved institutions are not being fully patronised. We are doing this to halt further decay in the tertiary education system, which could affect the quality of graduates and lead to higher unemployment,” Alausa said.

Despite the ban, the minister confirmed that the council had approved the establishment of nine new private universities out of the 79 pending requests.