The Federal Government has placed a seven-year ban on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country. The decision was taken at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said the moratorium would enable the government to focus on rehabilitating decayed infrastructure, recruiting and training qualified lecturers, and improving the capacity of existing institutions. He described the current expansion trend as unsustainable, with many institutions operating far below capacity.
According to Alausa, despite having 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, the 2024/2025 JAMB data showed that 199 universities recorded fewer than 100 applicants, while 34 had none.
He noted instances of extreme inefficiency, including a federal university with fewer than 800 students but over 1,200 staff members.
