FG asks n’assembly to stop bills seeking to establish new federal universities, polytechnics

The federal government has urged the national assembly to stop considering and passing bills seeking to establish new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

In a letter dated November 22, 2026, and address to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, cited concerns about funding and sustainability of existing institutions.

Alausa asked the national assembly to support a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary institutions, approved by the federal executive council (FEC) on August 13, 2025.

He said the appeal was made “in the interest of educational quality, fiscal sustainability and the efficient utilisation of public resources”.

According to the minister, the decision followed concerns about “institutional proliferation, duplication of programmes, under-utilisation of existing facilities and the declining capacity of Government to adequately fund and sustain the growing number of public tertiary institutions”.

He said legislative proposals seeking to establish new institutions were still receiving attention despite the government’s policy direction.

Acknowledging the national assembly’s constitutional power to initiate and enact legislation, Alausa said such proposals should reflect national education policy, demonstrable needs and the financial implications of establishing additional institutions.

He said the education sector’s priority sector should shift from expanding access through new institutions to strengthening existing ones through improved infrastructure, adequate funding and recruitment of qualified academic and non-academic personnel.

The minister also identified inadequate lecture halls, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient laboratories, staff shortages, accommodation deficits and deteriorating facilities as challenges confronting existing federal institutions.

“Spreading limited resources across additional institutions without first addressing these deficiencies will further weaken the capacity of existing institutions to deliver quality education,” he said.

Alausa cited outstanding government obligations to the university sector as evidence of the financial constraints facing the education system.

He said that, of the N1.3 trillion revitalisation commitment to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) between 2013 and 2018, only N250 billion was reportedly released between 2013 and 2021.

He added that, of the additional N150 billion approved in 2025 for the needs assessment intervention, only N50 billion was initially released.

The minister said the funding gaps raised “legitimate concerns about the capacity to sustain additional institutions without corresponding and guaranteed budgetary provisions”.

He also noted that the federal government was already funding infrastructure projects through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), and vocational and skills programmes, as well as the consolidated academic tools allowance and consolidated tertiary institutions tools allowance for academic and non-academic staff.

Alausa also referenced Australia, Finland, Japan, the United States and South Africa, saying the countries had undertaken mergers and consolidation of institutions to address financial constraints, duplicated programmes and administrative inefficiencies.

He urged Nigeria to “similarly prioritise institutional viability and quality over the continuous expansion of institutional numbers”.

The minister said establishing a tertiary institution involved more than passing an enabling law, as it required take-off grants, land, infrastructure, personnel, equipment, utilities and recurrent expenditure.

These, he noted, would become continuing financial obligations for successive governments.

He warned that passing establishment bills without feasibility studies, demonstrable needs and credible long-term funding could result in “institutions that exist in law but lack the resources and capacity to function effectively”.(TheCable)