We have enough Tertiary institutions, establishing new ones is waste of scarce resources – FG

All states demanding the establishment of federal Tertiary Institutions for them will now have to wait for some years before realizing their desires.

This followed the announcement by the Federal Government of a five-year ban on the creation of new federal tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Briefing News after this Wednesday’s (13/8/25) Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa said the decision is aimed at curbing the proliferation of poorly resourced schools and reversing the decline in educational standards.

Alausa, made it clear that Nigeria’s challenge is no longer access to federal tertiary education but the duplication of institutions.

“What we are witnessing today is duplication of new federal tertiary institutions, a significant reduction in the current capacity of each institution, and degradation of both physical infrastructure and manpower.

“If we do not act decisively, it will lead to marked declines in educational quality and undermine the international respect that Nigerian graduates command,” the Minister noted.

According to reports, Nigeria Tertiary education comprises 72 federal universities, 108 state universities, and 159 private universities, alongside hundreds of polytechnics and colleges of education, with recent admission figures showing that many operate far below capacity.

“For the 2024–2026 academic sessions, 199 universities recorded fewer than 99 applicants, while 34 had none at all. Similar trends were seen in polytechnics and colleges of education.

The Education minister who cited an example of a northern federal university that had fewer than 800 students but over 1,200 staff members described such a ratio as unsustainable.