Nigeria seeks seven-year freeze on new federal universities and polytechnics

Nigeria's federal government has proposed a seven-year freeze on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, warning that the continued expansion of the tertiary education system could further weaken academic standards and stretch already limited public resources.

The government argues that Nigeria's immediate priority should be improving the quality and capacity of existing institutions rather than creating more universities and colleges that may struggle to secure adequate funding, recruit qualified staff and provide essential academic facilities. Minister of Education Tunji Alausa has consequently appealed to the Senate and other members of the National Assembly to exercise restraint in considering and passing bills seeking to establish additional federal tertiary institutions during the proposed moratorium.

The appeal was made recently in a memorandum addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and copied to Senate Majority Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele. In the memorandum, marked FME/DUE/NASS/153/Vol.1/147 and sighted in Abuja, Alausa said the Federal Executive Council had approved the seven-year moratorium at its August 13, 2025, meeting as part of efforts to address the proliferation of public tertiary institutions, duplication of academic programmes and under-utilisation of existing facilities.

The intervention comes as universities across Nigeria continue to face funding pressures, infrastructure deficits, overcrowded classrooms and shortages of academic personnel. Making a case for the policy, Alausa said the country's challenge was no longer simply expanding access to tertiary education but ensuring that institutions already operating had the resources and capacity to deliver quality teaching, research and other academic services.

"The Federal Government's position is that the immediate challenge confronting the tertiary education sector is not merely the expansion of access but the urgent need to strengthen existing institutions," he stated. He warned that establishing additional institutions without guaranteed and sustainable funding would spread scarce resources even thinner, potentially leaving more universities and colleges unable to provide basic academic facilities. The minister said the moratorium would give the government time to consolidate previous investments, address existing deficiencies and improve the capacity of operational institutions before considering further expansion.

N1.3 trillion ASUU commitment raises funding concerns

Alausa pointed to the government's outstanding financial commitments to the university system as evidence of the difficulties involved in financing additional institutions. He disclosed that of the N1.3 trillion pledged under the 2013-2018 Federal Government-ASUU revitalisation agreement, only N250 billion was reportedly released between 2013 and 2021. Similarly, he said that of the additional N150 billion approved in 2025 for Needs Assessment Intervention, only N50 billion was initially released.

According to the minister, these funding gaps raise serious questions about the government's ability to meet existing obligations while assuming the substantial financial responsibilities that come with establishing new institutions. "These funding gaps demonstrate the difficulty of meeting existing obligations and raise legitimate concerns about the capacity to sustain additional institutions without corresponding and guaranteed budgetary provisions," he said.

He identified inadequate lecture halls, overcrowded classrooms, poorly equipped laboratories, shortages of qualified academic staff, insufficient student accommodation and deteriorating infrastructure as some of the pressing problems confronting existing federal institutions. Alausa cautioned that expanding the number of institutions without addressing these shortcomings could compromise academic standards and undermine the quality of graduates entering the workforce.

Govt cites state-level consolidation

To reinforce his argument, the minister referred to the experiences of Ekiti and Imo states, where the establishment of multiple tertiary institutions reportedly created financial and administrative difficulties. He recalled that three state-owned universities in Ekiti were consolidated into one institution, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, in 2011. Imo State, he added, had also undertaken institutional reviews and integration following the establishment of several tertiary institutions under previous administrations.

Alausa further said some state governments had approached the Federal Government seeking takeovers of their universities because of difficulties sustaining their operations. He warned that institutions established without credible funding arrangements could eventually become financial liabilities, forcing future administrations to undertake expensive mergers, restructuring or closures.

"The institutions established without sustainable funding arrangements may subsequently require costly restructuring, merger or integration by successor administrations," he cautioned. The minister also cited Australia, Finland, Japan, the United States and South Africa as countries that had adopted institutional mergers and consolidation to address funding constraints, duplication of programmes and administrative inefficiencies.

He said such reforms could improve governance, generate economies of scale, strengthen research capacity and ensure more efficient use of public resources.

New institutions could strain other education programmes

Beyond the immediate cost of establishing universities and colleges, Alausa warned that further expansion could divert resources from other government interventions aimed at improving the education sector. These include infrastructure projects supported by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), vocational and skills development initiatives, and the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Tools Allowance (CONTTA) for academic and non-academic personnel.

He stressed that establishing a tertiary institution involved far more than passing legislation, pointing to the long-term costs of land acquisition, construction, take-off grants, staff recruitment, equipment, utilities and recurrent expenditure. Without comprehensive feasibility studies, evidence of national educational needs and reliable funding arrangements, he warned, newly approved institutions could exist largely on paper without developing the capacity to function effectively. Such institutions, he added, could leave future administrations with expensive financial and administrative burdens, affecting students, staff and public investments.

Minister urges lawmakers to support moratorium

Alausa said the government intended to use the seven-year period to improve infrastructure, address manpower shortages, strengthen academic standards and ensure that future expansion was supported by sound financial and administrative planning. Acknowledging the constitutional powers of the National Assembly to initiate and pass legislation establishing tertiary institutions, he urged lawmakers to consider the broader financial implications and demonstrable educational needs before approving new establishment bills.

He appealed to Akpabio and the leadership of the National Assembly to align legislative decisions with the government's policy direction. "In view of the foregoing, I respectfully appeal to Your Excellency and the distinguished leadership of the National Assembly to support the Federal Government's seven-year moratorium by exercising restraint in the consideration and passage of Bills for the establishment of additional Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education during the period," he stated.

The minister maintained that Nigeria's educational progress should not be judged by how many universities and colleges it establishes, but by the quality of education they deliver, the competence of their graduates and their contribution to national development. "The success of our education system should be measured not merely by the number of institutions established but by the capacity of existing institutions to deliver high-quality education, produce competent graduates and contribute meaningfully to national development," he added.