THE FEDERAL Government has appealed to the National Assembly to suspend the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for seven years to address funding challenges and improve academic standards.
The appeal is contained in a Nov. 2 memo by the Federal Ministry of Education, addressed to the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.
In the memo, marked FME/DUE/NASS/153/Vol.1/147, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the seven-year moratorium on Aug. 13, 2025.
He said the decision was aimed at addressing the proliferation of public tertiary institutions, duplication of academic programmes, under-utilisation of facilities and inadequate funding.
According to him, the priority should be strengthening existing institutions rather than establishing new ones.
”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.
Alausa said existing federal institutions were facing funding and infrastructure deficits, including overcrowded classrooms, inadequate laboratories, shortage of qualified personnel and deteriorating facilities.
He warned that establishing more institutions without addressing these challenges could further weaken the quality of tertiary education.
The minister also disclosed that only N250 billion of the N1.3 trillion approved for the 2013-2018 Federal Government-ASUU revitalisation programme was reportedly released between 2013 and 2021.
He added that of the additional N150 billion approved in 2025 for Needs Assessment Intervention, only N50 billion was initially released.
”These funding gaps demonstrate the difficulty of meeting existing obligations and raise legitimate concerns about the capacity to sustain additional institutions,” he said.
Alausa cited Ekiti and Imo states as examples of the financial difficulties associated with establishing multiple tertiary institutions without sustainable funding.
He recalled that three state-owned universities in Ekiti were merged into one institution, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, in 2011.
He also identified TETFund interventions, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and vocational skills programmes as competing funding priorities requiring sustained government support.
The minister explained that establishing new institutions involved long-term financial commitments, including land acquisition, infrastructure, staff recruitment, equipment and recurrent expenditure.
He cautioned that institutions established without proper feasibility studies and sustainable funding could eventually become financial liabilities.
”Such institutions may eventually become financial liabilities, compelling future administrations to undertake costly mergers, restructuring or outright closure,” he warned.
However, Alausa clarified that the moratorium was not intended to permanently deny Nigerians access to tertiary education or prevent future expansion where compelling national needs existed.
Rather, he said it would allow government to consolidate existing investments, address institutional deficiencies and improve academic standards.
Alausa urged the Senate leadership and other lawmakers to support the seven-year moratorium by suspending consideration of bills seeking to establish additional federal tertiary institutions.
”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 stated.
The memo was also copied to the Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele. (NAN)
