Favour Ishember, Abuja
The Federal Government has warned that creating more public tertiary institutions without fixing existing funding and infrastructure challenges could further weaken Nigeria’s education system.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Aluasa, said the country’s immediate higher education challenge is no longer about expanding access through more universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, but about improving the quality, capacity and sustainability of institutions already established.
He made the position known in a memo from the Federal Ministry of Education dated November 2, 2026, and addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, where the government appealed to the National Assembly to suspend approval of bills seeking the creation of new federal tertiary institutions for seven years.
The memo, marked FME/DUE/NASS/153/Vol.1/147 and sighted in Abuja on Thursday, urged lawmakers to respect the Federal Government’s seven-year moratorium by exercising restraint in considering proposals for additional federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Alausa explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its meeting of August 13, 2025, approved the moratorium as part of measures to address the rapid increase in public tertiary institutions, duplication of academic programmes, poor utilisation of existing facilities and government’s declining ability to adequately finance the sector.
According to the minister, the policy would enable government to consolidate existing investments, improve academic standards and increase the capacity of institutions already operating across the country.
He stressed that the focus should shift from establishing more institutions to providing better funding, modern infrastructure, qualified manpower and improved 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,” Alausa stated.
The minister expressed concern that despite the government’s policy direction, legislative proposals for new federal tertiary institutions continued to receive attention.
While recognising the constitutional authority of the National Assembly to initiate and pass laws, Alausa said such decisions must be guided by national education policies, genuine educational needs and the financial implications of establishing new institutions.
He cautioned that dividing limited resources among more institutions without addressing current challenges could reduce the quality of tertiary education.
According to him, existing federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education are struggling with serious deficits, including inadequate lecture halls, overcrowded classrooms, limited laboratories, shortage of qualified personnel, accommodation problems and ageing infrastructure.
The minister argued that adding more institutions under the current circumstances could increase the burden on government rather than improve access to quality education.
Alausa also highlighted unresolved financial obligations relating to the revitalisation of public universities.
He disclosed that out of the ₦1.3 trillion Federal Government-ASUU revitalisation commitment covering 2013 to 2018, only ₦250 billion was released between 2013 and 2021.
He added that from the additional ₦150 billion approved in 2025 for Needs Assessment Intervention, only ₦50 billion had initially been released, leaving a major funding gap.
The minister said the shortfalls showed the difficulty of meeting existing commitments and raised questions about government’s ability to sustain additional institutions without guaranteed financial provisions.
Alausa cited the experiences of Ekiti and Imo states as examples of the challenges associated with establishing multiple tertiary institutions without sustainable funding plans.
He recalled that three state-owned universities in Ekiti State were merged into Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, in 2011, while Imo State also carried out institutional reviews and integration following the establishment of several tertiary institutions.
He further disclosed that some state governments had approached the Federal Government for assistance or takeover of their universities because of difficulties in sustaining them financially.
According to him, institutions established without proper funding arrangements may eventually require costly restructuring, mergers or integration by future administrations.
The minister also referred to international examples, noting that countries such as Australia, Finland, Japan, the United States and South Africa had adopted institutional consolidation and mergers to address duplication, financial pressures and administrative inefficiencies.
He said such reforms helped improve governance, strengthen research capacity, reduce waste and ensure better use of public resources.
Alausa urged Nigeria to adopt a similar approach by prioritising institutional strength and academic excellence rather than focusing on increasing the number of tertiary institutions.
He identified existing education interventions, including Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) projects, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), vocational training programmes, the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Tools Allowance (CONTTA), as areas already requiring sustained funding.
The minister warned that establishing additional institutions without clear funding sources could undermine these programmes and create more financial pressure on government.
He noted that setting up a tertiary institution goes beyond passing legislation, as it creates long-term obligations involving land acquisition, infrastructure development, recruitment of workers, equipment procurement, utilities and recurrent expenses.
Alausa cautioned that approving establishment bills without feasibility studies, clear national needs and sustainable financing plans could create institutions that exist legally but lack the capacity to function effectively.
He warned that such institutions could later become financial liabilities, forcing future governments to embark on expensive mergers, restructuring or possible closure, with consequences for students, staff and public investments.
However, the minister clarified that the seven-year moratorium was not aimed at permanently stopping the expansion of tertiary education or denying Nigerians access to higher learning.
He explained that the policy was designed to allow government to address existing weaknesses, improve academic standards and ensure that future expansion is properly planned and financially sustainable.
Alausa therefore appealed to Akpabio and the leadership of the National Assembly to support the moratorium by limiting consideration of bills seeking to establish additional federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education during the period.
He maintained that the success of Nigeria’s education system should not be judged by the number of institutions created, but by their ability to produce quality graduates, deliver sound education and contribute to national development.
The memo was also copied to the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele.
