ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu’s administration has approved a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
The decision, aimed at halting the proliferation of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, was reached on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by the president.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said the ban will cover all categories of federal tertiary institutions nationwide.
He explained that Nigeria’s current challenge in the education sector is no longer access but quality, warning that the unchecked creation of new institutions has stretched resources thin.
“The duplication of tertiary institutions has led to significant deterioration in both infrastructure and manpower,” Alausa said. “If we do not act decisively, it will result in a marked decline in educational quality and undermine the international respect Nigerian graduates command.”
The minister stressed that the government’s focus over the next seven years will be on revitalising existing institutions to ensure they meet global standards in teaching, research, and infrastructure.
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