FG Suspends Creation of New Tertiary Institutions for Six Years

FG Suspends Creation of New Tertiary Institutions for Six Years

FELICIA ONAH, Abuja

The Federal Government has suspended the establishment of new universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for the next six years.

The decision was taken on Wednesday at the meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the temporary ban is meant to improve the quality of higher education and ensure that existing institutions are properly funded and managed.

According to him, the government believes the rapid increase in the number of tertiary institutions has not solved the problem of limited admission spaces.

He cited data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, showing that over 2.3 million candidates applied for admission last year, but fewer than 228,000 were admitted into public universities.

“Today, access is not easy in the country. We have lots of tertiary institutions, both public and private. We need to help these private institutions be sustainable financially,” the minister said.

Alausa explained that the six-year suspension will give the government time to strengthen standards, improve infrastructure and address funding challenges facing existing schools.

The Council also approved the restoration of the National Commission for Mass Literacy Adult and Non Formal Education as a fully independent commission. The minister said the move is part of efforts to tackle the country’s high illiteracy rate.

“Today, we have about 56 million Nigerians that are illiterate. We can’t continue to have a high number of citizens that are illiterate,” he said.

He added that the commission plans to expand adult education programmes and promote digital literacy, especially in rural communities.

In addition, the Council approved amendments to the National Postgraduate Medical College Act to recognise medical fellowships as equal to a PhD for academic career progression. It also granted comprehensive insurance coverage for the 180 federal unity schools across the country.

The suspension of new tertiary institutions comes after a period of rapid expansion. In 2025, the National Universities Commission approved 33 new universities, bringing the total number of universities in Nigeria to 309.

With the new policy, the government says its focus will now shift from creating more institutions to improving the quality, sustainability and access within the existing system.