Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved a sweeping seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary educational institutions across the country.
The policy, announced after Wednesday’s FEC meeting, will apply to universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the move is not aimed at limiting access to education but at addressing what he described as “dangerous inefficiencies” caused by the unchecked duplication of institutions. He stressed that Nigeria’s core challenge is no longer about creating more federal tertiary schools but about strengthening existing ones, which are struggling under declining infrastructure, manpower shortages, and dwindling capacity utilization.
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“In our country, access to quality federal education is no longer an issue,” Alausa said. “What we are witnessing today is duplication of new federal tertiary institutions, a significant reduction in the current capacity of each institution, and degradation of both physical infrastructure and manpower. If we do not act decisively, it will lead to marked declines in educational quality and undermine the international respect that Nigerian graduates command.”
A Sector Bloated Beyond Demand
Alausa provided figures illustrating how Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape has expanded far beyond realistic needs or available resources. The country now has 72 federal universities, 108 state universities, and 159 private universities. The trend is similar for other categories — polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education, agriculture, health sciences, nursing, and innovation and enterprise institutions.
Despite this extensive network, many institutions struggle to attract students. Data for the 2024–2026 academic sessions revealed that 2.1 million candidates applied to tertiary institutions nationwide. Yet, 199 universities recorded fewer than 99 applicants, and 34 universities had zero applications. The problem is even worse for polytechnics and colleges of education, with 295 polytechnics attracting fewer than 99 applicants and 219 colleges of education in the same situation. Of these, 64 colleges had no applicants at all.
Alausa warned that this mismatch between the number of institutions and actual student demand is wasting scarce public resources. He cited a stark example from northern Nigeria where a federal university has fewer than 800 students but employs over 1,200 staff.
“This is simply not sustainable,” he said, adding that the government is essentially funding empty classrooms while existing universities with higher demand lack adequate facilities and lecturers.
Redirecting Resources, Raising Standards
Under the new moratorium, no new federal universities, polytechnics, or colleges of education will be approved for the next five years. The minister said the government will instead redirect funding toward expanding and upgrading the physical infrastructure and human resources of existing institutions. This includes expanding their carrying capacity to ensure they can admit more qualified students without compromising quality.
“We need to improve the quality of our education system and increase the carrying capacity of our current institutions so that Nigerian graduates can maintain and enhance the respect they enjoy globally,” Alausa said. He thanked President Tinubu for what he called “unwavering commitment” to education reform, describing the president’s political will as critical in driving the changes.
Nine New Private Universities Approved After Backlog Clearance
While placing the moratorium, the FEC also approved the establishment of nine new private universities. Alausa explained that these approvals were not in violation of the moratorium because they were part of a longstanding backlog of applications — some pending for more than six years — at the National Universities Commission (NUC). Many of the investors had already completed campuses and invested billions of naira while waiting for licenses.
He revealed that the ministry recently undertook a sweeping review of private university applications, deactivating over 350 inactive requests and tightening guidelines to make the process more efficient and transparent. Out of 79 active applications, nine met the requirements and were approved this week.
However, the moratorium will also apply to the creation of new private universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education going forward. No further approvals will be given unless they comply with the revised standards and are proven to be sustainable.
Tackling Graduate Unemployment and Skills Gap
Alausa linked the decision to a broader economic concern — rising graduate unemployment and the growing number of degree holders lacking the skills needed for the labor market. He warned that if the over-proliferation of poorly resourced institutions continues, it would flood the job market with graduates ill-equipped to compete globally, thereby eroding the value of Nigerian education and undermining economic growth.
“If we do not act now, the level of graduate unemployment will rise, and the capital index will be affected due to the growing number of graduates without sufficient life skills to contribute meaningfully to the economy,” he said. “This policy is vital if we want to maintain the global respect for Nigerian education and graduates.”
The seven-year freeze represents one of the most far-reaching interventions in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector in decades, signaling a shift from quantity to quality. The coming years will reveal whether the redirected investment can reverse the slide in standards and restore the competitiveness of Nigeria’s higher education system.