The moratorium was approved during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, following a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
However, despite the freeze, the council gave the green light for the creation of nine new private universities whose applications had been pending for up to six years and had passed the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) rigorous evaluation process.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Dr. Alausa said the major challenge in the nation’s tertiary sector is no longer access but the proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions, crumbling infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and duplicated mandates.
“Several federal universities operate far below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students. In one northern university, there are 1,200 staff serving fewer than 800 students. This is a waste of government resources,” Alausa noted.
Data presented by the minister revealed that 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications via the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) last year, with 34 recording zero applications. Of the 295 polytechnics nationwide, many attracted fewer than 99 applicants, while 219 colleges of education posted similarly poor enrolment figures — including 64 with no applications at all.
Alausa warned that the unchecked establishment of poorly subscribed institutions could erode the value of Nigerian degrees globally, churn out ill-prepared graduates, and worsen the country’s unemployment crisis.
He explained that the freeze would allow the government to focus on improving infrastructure, recruiting qualified staff, and expanding the capacity of existing institutions.
“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 said.
Currently, Nigeria has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, in addition to hundreds of state-owned and private tertiary institutions and specialised schools in agriculture, health sciences, and nursing.
The minister confirmed that the nine newly approved universities are private initiatives with billions of naira already invested in infrastructure. He added that the moratorium will also apply to the creation of new private polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent further under-enrolment.
Dr. Alausa praised President Tinubu for supporting what he described as a “reset button” for the country’s tertiary education system.
“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,” he said.
