New federal universities: FG writes National Assembly, seeks halt to bills
- Nigeria's Minister of Education wrote to Senate President Akpabio on November 2, 2026, urging lawmakers to halt bills creating new federal tertiary institutions
- The Federal Executive Council approved a seven-year moratorium on new federal institutions in August 2025, citing funding gaps and deteriorating infrastructure
- Minister Alausa pointed to a ₦1.3 trillion revitalisation commitment to ASUU, of which only ₦250 billion was released between 2013 and 2021
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Abuja, FCT - Nigeria's Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has written to the leadership of the National Assembly asking lawmakers to stop considering and passing bills that would create new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
In a letter dated November 2, 2026, addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Dr Alausa said continued legislative activity in this direction conflicts with a moratorium the Federal Executive Council approved on August 13, 2025. He framed the appeal as being "in the interest of educational quality, fiscal sustainability and the efficient utilisation of public resources."
Why the Federal Government Imposed the Moratorium
The FEC decision followed concerns about institutional proliferation, duplicated academic programmes, underuse of existing facilities, and the government's shrinking ability to fund the institutions already in existence. Dr. Alausa said the problem facing the sector had moved beyond expanding access and that the priority was now "the urgent need to strengthen existing institutions through improved infrastructure, adequate funding, recruitment of qualified academic and non-academic personnel, provision of modern teaching and research facilities, and improved institutional efficiency."
He listed conditions in existing federal institutions, including overcrowded classrooms, inadequate lecture halls, laboratory shortfalls, staff shortages, accommodation deficits, and facilities in disrepair.
"Spreading limited resources across additional institutions without first addressing these deficiencies will further weaken the capacity of existing institutions to deliver quality education," he wrote.
The minister pointed to unmet financial obligations as evidence of the strain on public finances. Under the 2013 to 2018 revitalisation commitment to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, valued at ₦1.3 trillion, only ₦250 billion was reportedly released between 2013 and 2021. Of a further ₦150 billion approved in 2025 for the Needs Assessment Intervention, only ₦50 billion was initially disbursed.
Seven-Year Pause, Not a Permanent Ban
Dr Alausa acknowledged that the National Assembly has the constitutional power to initiate and pass legislation, but argued that proposals for new institutions should reflect national education policy, proven need, and a clear funding plan. He warned that bills passed without feasibility studies or credible long-term financing could produce "institutions that exist in law but lack the resources and capacity to function effectively."
He cited examples from Nigeria and abroad. In Ekiti State, three state universities were merged into Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, in 2011, while Imo State similarly consolidated several tertiary institutions. Australia, Finland, Japan, the United States, and South Africa have all merged institutions to address financial pressure and programme duplication, he noted, calling on Nigeria to "similarly prioritise institutional viability and quality over the continuous expansion of institutional numbers."
The minister was clear that the moratorium is "not intended to permanently deny Nigerians access to tertiary education," but offers a window to consolidate existing investments and plan future expansion responsibly. He closed by saying the education system's success 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."
Source: Legit.ng
