The Federal Government (FG)has appealed to the National Assembly to suspend the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for seven years, citing funding challenges, infrastructural deficits and declining academic standards in existing institutions.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the appeal in a memo dated November 2, 2026, addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
In the memo, marked FME/DUE/NASS/153/Vol.1/147, Alausa urged the Senate leadership and other lawmakers to exercise restraint in considering bills seeking to establish additional federal tertiary institutions in line with the Federal Government’s seven-year moratorium.
The minister explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its meeting on August 13, 2025, approved the moratorium to address the increasing proliferation of public tertiary institutions, duplication of academic programmes, underutilisation of existing facilities and the government’s limited capacity to adequately fund the sector.
According to him, Nigeria’s immediate challenge in the tertiary education sector is no longer simply expanding access to education but strengthening existing institutions through improved funding, infrastructure, personnel and modern teaching and research facilities.
“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.
Alausa said the seven-year suspension would allow the government to consolidate existing investments, address infrastructural shortcomings and improve the quality and carrying capacity of established institutions.
He expressed concern that legislative proposals for the creation of additional federal tertiary institutions continued to receive attention despite the government’s policy direction.
While acknowledging the constitutional powers of the National Assembly to initiate and enact legislation, the minister maintained that such proposals should be guided by national education policies, proven educational needs and the financial implications of establishing new institutions.
Highlighting the challenges facing existing federal tertiary institutions, Alausa listed inadequate lecture halls, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient laboratories, shortages of qualified academic personnel, accommodation deficits and deteriorating infrastructure.
He warned that spreading limited resources across more institutions without first addressing these challenges could further weaken the quality of tertiary education in the country.
The minister also raised concerns over the Federal Government’s outstanding financial commitments to the revitalisation of public universities.
He disclosed that out of the N1.3 trillion commitment under the 2013–2018 Federal Government-ASUU revitalisation agreement, only N250 billion was reportedly released between 2013 and 2021.
Similarly, he said only N50 billion was initially released from the additional N150 billion approved in 2025 for Needs Assessment Intervention, leaving a significant funding gap.
According to him, these outstanding obligations raise serious questions about the government’s ability to sustain existing commitments while taking on the additional financial burden of establishing new institutions.
Citing examples from Ekiti and Imo states, Alausa highlighted the financial and administrative difficulties associated with maintaining multiple tertiary institutions without sustainable funding arrangements.
He recalled that three state-owned universities in Ekiti were consolidated into Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, in 2011, while Imo State had also undertaken institutional reviews and integration.
The minister further revealed that some state governments had approached the Federal Government to take over their universities due to difficulties in sustaining their operations financially.
He said such experiences demonstrated the risks of establishing institutions without adequate long-term funding, warning that they could eventually require expensive mergers, restructuring or integration.
Alausa also referenced international experiences in Australia, Finland, Japan, the United States and South Africa, where institutional consolidation had been adopted to address funding challenges, duplication of academic programmes and administrative inefficiencies.
He argued that Nigeria should prioritise institutional viability, academic quality and efficient utilisation of public resources rather than continuously increasing the number of tertiary institutions.
The minister identified Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) infrastructure development, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), vocational and skills acquisition programmes, as well as the implementation of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Tools Allowance (CONTTA), among the competing funding priorities of the government.
He warned that establishing new institutions would create long-term financial obligations for successive administrations, including take-off grants, land acquisition, infrastructure development, recruitment, equipment procurement, utilities and recurrent expenditure.
Alausa cautioned that establishment bills passed without comprehensive feasibility studies, clear educational needs and credible funding arrangements could result in institutions that exist only on paper but lack the resources and capacity to function effectively.
However, he clarified that the moratorium was not intended to permanently deny Nigerians access to tertiary education or prevent future expansion where compelling national needs arise.
Rather, he said the policy was designed to give the government time to consolidate existing investments, address institutional deficiencies, improve academic standards and ensure that any future expansion was properly planned and financially sustainable.
The minister therefore appealed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the leadership of the National Assembly to support the policy by exercising restraint in considering and passing bills seeking to establish additional federal tertiary institutions during the seven-year period.
He maintained that the success of Nigeria’s education system should be measured by the quality of education delivered, the competence of graduates and the contribution of institutions to national development, rather than the number of tertiary institutions established.
