The Federal Government has suspended the establishment of new tertiary institutions to address poor infrastructure and declining academic standards.
Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, approved a moratorium on creating new universities and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Alausa said the decision followed growing concerns over under-utilised institutions, poor infrastructure, and declining academic quality. “Several federal universities operate far below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students,” he stated, describing it as a waste of government resources.
“If we want to improve quality and not be a laughing stock globally, the pragmatic step is to pause the establishment of new federal institutions,” he added.
The Minister clarified that the suspension applies to both public and private tertiary institutions, though nine pending private universities were approved after meeting the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) strict standards.
Calling the move a “reset button” for Nigeria’s education system, Alausa said, “Mr President believes fervently in education and has given us the mandate to ensure every Nigerian has access to the highest quality of education comparable to anywhere in the world.”
THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DAILY TRUST