Nigeria government bans creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, colleges of education for 7 years

Thursday, August 14, 2025 - The Federal Government has imposed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Announcing the decision after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, said the freeze is aimed at curbing the unchecked proliferation of under-utilised institutions and redirecting resources to strengthen existing ones.

He noted that access to tertiary education is no longer Nigeria’s primary challenge, but rather the duplication of institutions that has stretched resources too thin. This, he said, has resulted in poor infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and declining student enrollment.

Citing examples, Alausa disclosed that one northern university has 1,200 staff catering to fewer than 800 students. Currently, Nigeria has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education. Yet, in the last JAMB cycle, 199 universities received fewer than 100 applicants, with 34 recording zero applications.

Polytechnics and colleges of education fared no better, with 64 colleges of education attracting no applicants at all.

“The moratorium will enable government to focus on upgrading facilities, recruiting qualified staff, and increasing capacity in existing institutions,” the minister said. “We want to sustain the quality of our graduates and the international respect they enjoy. Continuing the current trend risks producing poorly trained graduates and worsening unemployment.”

While the freeze affects only federal institutions, Alausa confirmed that FEC approved nine new private universities whose long-standing applications passed rigorous evaluation. However, moratoriums are already in place for new private polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent further proliferation.

As part of wider reforms, the government is also reviewing the Polytechnic Act to allow polytechnics to award Bachelor of Technology degrees — a move aimed at reducing the imbalance between university and polytechnic education.

According to Alausa, President Tinubu has fully endorsed the reforms, describing them as critical to delivering “world-class education” to Nigerians.