Nigerian Government Imposes Six-Year Moratorium on New Tertiary Institutions

The Nigerian government has implemented a six-year moratorium on the establishment of new tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. This decision was made during a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Minister of Education Tunji Alausa explained that the freeze aims to enhance the quality of education and support the financial stability of existing institutions, particularly private ones. The current access to tertiary education remains a challenge, as evidenced by statistics from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which revealed that out of 2.3 million candidates who applied for university admission last year, only 228,000 were admitted to public universities.

The government’s focus is on ensuring that existing institutions operate sustainably during this moratorium period.