The Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, approved a five-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary educational institutions across Nigeria.
The ban on establishment of tertiary institutions covers universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, and is aimed at addressing inefficiencies and over-proliferation in the sector.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, explained that the challenge in Nigeria’s education system is no longer access but the unchecked duplication of institutions, which has caused a decline in infrastructure and manpower.
“In our country, access to quality financial 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.”
According to the minister, Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 108 state universities, and 159 private universities, alongside numerous polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics, and specialised institutions.
For the 2024–2026 academic sessions, 2.1 million students applied to tertiary institutions, yet 199 universities received fewer than 99 applicants, and 34 had none at all. Similar trends were recorded in polytechnics and colleges of education, with 295 polytechnics receiving fewer than 99 applicants and 64 colleges recording zero applications.
Alausa described this as a “waste of resources,” citing a northern federal university with fewer than 800 students but over 1,200 staff. “This is simply not sustainable,” he stressed.
The moratorium, he said, will enable the government to redirect resources toward upgrading existing institutions, improving infrastructure, enhancing manpower, and increasing the capacity of current universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
“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,” he stated.
Alausa commended President Tinubu for his political will in pushing education reform, noting, “The president fervently believes in providing every Nigerian with the highest quality of education, comparable anywhere in the world, and his dedication has been key in advancing these reforms.”
Background Information On Establishment of Tertiary institutions
Nigeria’s tertiary education sector comprises a vast network of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, alongside specialised institutions such as monotechnics, colleges of agriculture, health sciences, nursing, and innovation and enterprise centres.
According to the Ministry of Education, there are currently 72 federal universities, 108 state universities, and 159 private universities. In addition, the country has hundreds of polytechnics and colleges of education. However, despite this large number of institutions, many operate far below capacity.
For the 2024–2026 academic sessions, about 2.1 million students applied to tertiary institutions nationwide, but data shows significant under-enrolment. At least 199 universities had fewer than 99 applicants each, with 34 universities recording no applications at all. The pattern is similar in other categories: 295 polytechnics had fewer than 99 applicants, and 64 colleges of education attracted no applicants.
This under-utilisation has created situations where some federal institutions maintain large staff numbers despite minimal student populations. For example, one northern federal university reportedly has fewer than 800 students but employs over 1,200 staff members.
Education experts and government officials have warned that the unchecked proliferation of institutions without corresponding resources or demand contributes to the decline in educational quality, overstretching government funding and undermining Nigeria’s global academic reputation.
