Federal Government seeks seven-year ban on new tertiary institutions

The Federal Government has urged the National Assembly to suspend the approval of bills seeking to establish new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for seven years, citing funding constraints, inadequate infrastructure and declining academic standards in existing institutions.

The appeal was contained in a memo dated November 2, 2026, from the Federal Ministry of Education to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. The memo, marked FME/DUE/NASS/153/Vol.1/147 and sighted in Abuja on Thursday, stated that the Federal Executive Council approved the moratorium on August 13, 2025. The policy aims to address the proliferation of public tertiary institutions, duplication of academic programmes, underutilisation of existing facilities and declining capacity to fund the sector.

Funding Gaps and Existing Pressures

The Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, signed the memo and argued that Nigeria needs to strengthen existing institutions through improved funding and infrastructure rather than simply expanding access. He noted that federal institutions are already struggling with inadequate lecture halls, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient laboratories and personnel shortages. The minister also disclosed funding shortfalls in government commitments, stating that only ₦250 billion of the ₦1.3 trillion Federal Government-ASUU revitalisation commitment covering 2013 to 2018 was released between 2013 and 2021. Of the ₦150 billion approved in 2025 for Needs Assessment Intervention, only ₦50 billion was initially released.

Alausa pointed out other competing funding demands in the sector, including Tertiary Education Trust Fund interventions, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, vocational programmes and staff allowances. While acknowledging the constitutional powers of the National Assembly to enact laws, he asked lawmakers to consider prevailing national education policies and financial implications before passing establishment bills. He clarified that the moratorium is not meant to permanently deny access or rule out future expansion, but to allow the government to consolidate investments and improve academic standards.