Stakeholders Back FG’s Ban on New Tertiary Institutions
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector have thrown their support behind the Federal Government’s recent decision to halt the establishment of new universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education for the next seven years.
The moratorium, PulseNets learnt, was announced on August 13 after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja. Government sources reported that the move was informed by concerns over under-enrollment, stretched resources, and inefficiencies across existing institutions. Officials noted that the pause is a key part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s higher education system.
In separate interviews with PulseNets, several education experts argued that rather than spreading limited resources on new campuses, upgrading and expanding existing universities and colleges would deliver greater impact and long-term cost-effectiveness.
Adesola Ajayi, Vice-Chancellor of Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, told PulseNets that the unchecked proliferation of universities in recent years has overstretched Nigeria’s fragile academic infrastructure.
“Nigeria has a variety of universities—federal, state, and specialised institutions—but many operate far below capacity due to inadequate facilities,” Ajayi said.
“We even have higher institutions with fewer than 1,000 students, even after being in existence for over a decade.”
The VC further explained that many newly created institutions, especially those sited in remote areas, suffer from poor infrastructure, lack of basic facilities, and an inability to attract qualified staff. According to him, some are barely accessible to both students and faculty members.
Ajayi suggested that extending the pause to between 10 and 15 years could allow the Federal Government to redirect resources towards boosting the infrastructure and teaching quality of existing schools.
Backing this position, Sola Adeyanju, Head of Public Affairs at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, spoke to PulseNets, describing the moratorium as “a very good decision.”
“Building new universities without adequate personnel and infrastructure will only stretch our already limited resources,” Adeyanju stressed.
He further called on the government to channel more funding into technical and vocational education, saying such an approach would better tackle Nigeria’s skills gap and reduce the shortage of professionals in critical sectors.
In a similar vein, former Vice-Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Noah Yusuf, also expressed strong approval for the Federal Government’s decision.
“This policy could curb the politically motivated proliferation of federal higher institutions,” Yusuf told PulseNets.
“Many of the universities and colleges set up in recent years were sited mainly to satisfy political interests, leading to conflicts between politicians and communities over their locations.”
The education scholar urged the government to seize this break to increase funding and comply with UNESCO’s recommended budgetary allocation to education. He stressed that doing so would significantly improve infrastructure, raise teaching standards, and boost research capacity across Nigeria’s public universities and colleges.
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According to Yusuf, the moratorium, if implemented faithfully, could enhance regulation, stabilise funding, and bring greater order to Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. He also pointed to the rising relevance of private universities in Nigeria, noting that they are increasingly becoming the backbone of higher education due to their stable academic calendars and on-time graduations.
Education stakeholders interviewed by PulseNets agreed that while the decision may face political resistance, it presents Nigeria with a rare opportunity to consolidate and strengthen its existing tertiary institutions for a more sustainable and globally competitive higher education sector.
