The Federal Government has placed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, in a bid to curb the proliferation of under-utilised institutions, address overstretched resources, and halt the decline in academic quality.
The policy decision, approved at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, followed a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
The minister explained that the move is aimed at ending the duplication of federal tertiary institutions, which has weakened infrastructure, stretched manpower, and diluted the capacity of existing schools.“Our challenge today is no longer access to quality education,” Alausa stated.
“The unchecked establishment of new institutions is reducing the effectiveness of the ones we already have. If we fail to act decisively, we risk a marked decline in educational quality and the global standing of our graduates.”
He added that resources will be redirected toward upgrading existing facilities, improving manpower, and expanding the capacity of current institutions to deliver world-class education.
