“To further halt decays in tertiary institutions which may in the future affect the quality of education and consequently cause unemployment of graduates from some of these institutions.”
The Nigerian government has imposed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
The decision was approved at a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa explained that the ban is necessary “to further halt decays in tertiary institutions which may in the future affect the quality of education and consequently cause unemployment of graduates from some of these institutions.” He directed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to use its 2025 allocations exclusively for rehabilitation of existing infrastructure, rather than constructing new facilities.
The minister warned that continued unchecked expansion has strained resources and undermined quality. While access to education is no longer the main issue, over-proliferation has degraded infrastructure across the sector.
The moratorium aims to channel efforts into upgrading current campuses and improving the standard of existing institutions, ensuring that graduates maintain global respect and competitiveness.