.Targets quality upgrade, resource consolidation
.Polytechnic Act review to pave way for B.Tech degrees
ABUJA: The Federal Government has placed a seven-year ban on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, in a sweeping move to halt the proliferation of under-enrolled and under-resourced institutions.
Announcing the decision after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, said the moratorium is designed to strengthen existing federal tertiary institutions by channelling resources into improving infrastructure, staffing, and academic quality.
According to the minister, access to tertiary education is no longer Nigeria’s primary challenge. Instead, the unchecked creation of new federal institutions has stretched resources thin, leaving many schools operating below capacity.
“Some universities have more staff than students,” Alausa noted, citing one northern institution with 1,200 personnel catering to fewer than 800 students. “In 2024, 199 universities recorded fewer than 100 applicants through JAMB, and 34 had none at all. Sixty-four colleges of education received zero applications.”
Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education. Many struggle with low enrolment, poor facilities, and inadequate funding.
The moratorium, Dr. Alausa explained, will allow government to consolidate, refurbish, and expand the carrying capacity of these institutions, thereby safeguarding the global reputation of Nigerian graduates. He warned that ignoring the problem could lead to poorly trained graduates and rising unemployment.
While the freeze covers federal institutions, FEC also approved nine new private universities whose applications had undergone rigorous vetting before the policy shift. The minister stressed that similar moratoriums remain in place for new private polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent further oversupply of under-subscribed schools.
As part of broader reforms, government is reviewing the Polytechnic Act to empower polytechnics to award Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degrees. This, Dr. Alausa said, will address the imbalance that currently makes universities more attractive to prospective students than polytechnics.
“This is a reset for our tertiary education system,” the minister declared. “Our focus is now on quality over quantity—delivering world-class education and ensuring sustainable growth of our institutions”.
