The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a five-year halt on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Nigeria.
The decision, reached during Wednesday’s meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu, aims to prioritize quality over expansion in the nation’s higher education sector.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the move was necessary to address the strain caused by the rapid proliferation of institutions without adequate infrastructure or manpower.
“Our focus now is on consolidating and strengthening existing institutions rather than creating new ones,” Alausa explained. “Overlapping mandates and resource shortages have stretched facilities and weakened academic standards.”
The suspension is expected to allow current federal institutions to improve infrastructure, hire more qualified lecturers, and boost teaching quality before any new establishments are considered.
Education stakeholders say the policy could help restore standards if matched with increased funding and better governance.
