FG Seeks 7-Year Halt on New Federal Universities And Polytechnics

The Federal Government has renewed its call for lawmakers to prioritise the improvement of existing tertiary institutions, citing funding shortages, inadequate facilities and concerns over academic standards.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the appeal in a memo dated November 2, 2026, addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, requesting that the National Assembly suspend consideration and passage of bills seeking to establish new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for seven years.

Why the Federal Government Wants the Halt Creation Of New Varsity And Polytechnic?

According to the minister, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the seven-year moratorium on August 13, 2025, to address the growing number of public tertiary institutions, duplication of academic programmes and the underutilisation of existing facilities.

Alausa said many federal institutions were already struggling with inadequate lecture halls, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient laboratories, shortages of qualified personnel and deteriorating infrastructure.

He warned that spreading limited government resources across additional institutions without addressing these challenges could further weaken the quality of education.

The minister also expressed concern that bills proposing new institutions continued to receive attention despite the government's existing policy.

Funding and Infrastructure Challenges

Alausa explained that establishing a tertiary institution involves long-term financial commitments beyond the passage of an enabling law.

These obligations include land acquisition, infrastructure development, recruitment of academic and non-academic staff, equipment, utilities and recurrent expenditure.

He argued that such commitments could place additional pressure on public finances and create difficulties for successive administrations if adequate funding arrangements were not established from the outset.

The minister therefore urged lawmakers to ensure that proposals for new institutions are guided by demonstrable educational needs, national education policies and credible long-term funding plans.

Is the FG Ban On Creation Of New Uni And Poly Permanent?

The minister clarified that the proposed seven-year moratorium was not intended to permanently prevent the expansion of tertiary education or deny Nigerians access to higher education.

Instead, the policy is designed to give the government time to strengthen existing institutions, improve infrastructure, address staffing gaps and raise academic standards before considering further expansion.

He maintained that the success of Nigeria's tertiary education sector should be measured by the quality of its institutions and graduates rather than simply the number of institutions established.

The seven-year moratorium had already received FEC approval in August 2025. The latest development is the minister's request for lawmakers to exercise restraint when considering bills for additional federal institutions.

The outcome of the appeal will depend on the actions of the National Assembly.

Source: Voice of Nigeria