MORE than 200 establishment bills currently before the National Assembly will likely be rendered ineffective following the Federal Government’s decision to halt the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education for the next seven years.
The moratorium, approved on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who described it as a “pragmatic and urgent response to a sector drowning in duplication, under-utilisation, and declining quality.”
According to Alausa, Nigeria’s tertiary education problem is no longer lack of access but the proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions, inadequate facilities, and overstretched resources.
He warned that unchecked establishment of new schools would only worsen unemployment by producing ill-prepared graduates and devalue Nigerian degrees internationally.
“If we are serious about quality and global competitiveness, the sensible step is to pause expansion, consolidate what we have, and rebuild confidence in our higher institutions,” he said.
Nigeria currently operates 72 federal universities, 42 polytechnics, and 28 colleges of education, in addition to hundreds of state-owned and private institutions. Many, however, are under-staffed, poorly funded, and running below capacity.
The freeze is expected to redirect federal resources toward rehabilitating existing infrastructure, recruiting qualified staff, and improving enrolment efficiency rather than adding more schools to an already strained system.
While freezing federal expansion, FEC granted licences to nine new private universities whose applications had been pending for up to six years.
Alausa disclosed that out of 551 applications for private universities inherited by the Tinubu administration, over 350 were deactivated for non-compliance, leaving 79 active files. Of these, only nine met the criteria and were approved.
The moratorium effectively stalls a legislative spree that has seen senators and representatives sponsor hundreds of bills for new tertiary institutions, often as constituency projects to boost political capital.
A tally by News Point Nigeria shows that not less than 200 establishment bills are now at risk of being abandoned, reworked, or indefinitely delayed.
For example, on July 10, 2025, the Senate alone passed seven separate bills to create new universities across the country, including:
Federal University of Technology, Asaba (sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko)
Federal University of Technology, Offa (Sen. Lola Ashiru)
Federal University of Technology, Omoku (Sen. Harry Banigo)
Federal University of Technology, Odukpani (Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong)
Federal University of Birnin Kebbi (Sen. Adamu Aliero)
Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe (Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele)
Federal University of Sciences, Deba (Sen. Danjuma Goje)
Similar bills for new polytechnics, colleges of education, and specialised institutes such as: schools of nursing, agriculture, and vocational training also remain in both chambers.
The freeze aligns with the Stephen Oronsaye Committee Report of 2012, which the Tinubu government revived in 2024 to rationalise government agencies. That report had warned against excessive duplication, recommending the scrapping of 38 agencies, merging of 52, and restructuring of 14.
Though implementation has been patchy, the education moratorium reflects the same ethos: streamlining instead of multiplying institutions to cut waste and boost efficiency.
Some education experts told News Point Nigeria that the decision is a major test for the 10th National Assembly, which has often pursued “performative expansionism” through establishment bills.
“While many bills will now die, lawmakers willing to adapt could reframe their proposals to focus on upgrading existing campuses, strengthening multi-campus models, or expanding faculties in specialised fields’, Professor Sani Ibrahim said.
“This freeze may seem like a political setback for lawmakers, but it is an opportunity to redirect legislative energy from populist bill-passing to real sectoral reforms that improve quality”, Dr Mary Otujo added.
“The seven-year pause is expected to reset Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape, forcing both policymakers and legislators to prioritise quality over quantity”, Professor Aisha Umar stated.
“For lawmakers, the moratorium may strip away easy political wins, but for the government, it represents a bold attempt to rescue higher education from over-expansion, underfunding, and declining standards”, Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge highlighted.