The Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by President Bola Tinubu has approved a seven-year ban on the establishment of new federal tertiary educational institutions across the country.
The decision which was taken after a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa covers universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
The Minister of Education speaking to newsmen after the meeting cited the prevailing challenges facing tertiary education in Nigeria as reason for the ban but noted that the FEC approved nine new universities despite the freeze.
According to him, Several Federal Universities operate below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students.
While citing one northern university with over one thousand, two hundred staff to cover less than eight hundred students Dr. Alausa noted it was a waste of government resources.
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He stated that One hundred and ninety nine universities received fewer than one hundred applications through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board last year, with thirty four others recording zero admission applications.
The Minister of Education revealed that from the two hundred and ninety five polytechnics nationwide, many had fewer than ninety nine applicants.
The Minister stated that with the moratorium, government intends to channel resources into upgrading facilities, hiring qualified staff, and expanding the carrying capacity of existing institutions
