By Idris Auwal
According to Nivo News, the Federal Government has declared a seven-year suspension on the creation of new federal tertiary institutions across Nigeria. The decision was disclosed on Wednesday by Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, following a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
The moratorium, which affects universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, is intended to concentrate resources on improving existing institutions. Alausa noted that the country faces critical challenges with decaying infrastructure and diminishing workforce quality rather than a shortage of federal schools.
“In our country, access to federal tertiary education is no longer the main problem,” Alausa stated. “What we are seeing is the unchecked duplication of institutions, which has diluted their capacity, weakened infrastructure, and undermined manpower development. If we fail to act decisively, educational standards will continue to drop, eroding the global reputation of Nigerian graduates.”
The minister stressed that the government’s priority is to strengthen and properly fund current schools to restore quality and ensure they remain competitive on the international stage.