FG Seeks Seven-Year Pause on New Federal Tertiary Institutions

FG Asks National Assembly for Seven-Year Pause on New Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education

The Federal Government has asked the National Assembly to stop considering and passing bills that would create new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for seven years. Education Minister Tunji Alausa made the appeal in a memo to Senate leadership that was reported on 6 and 7 November 2026. He said the pause, which the Federal Executive Council approved in August 2025, would let government fix funding and infrastructure problems in existing institutions before adding new ones.

For students and parents, the main point is that this is a request to lawmakers and not a law, and it concerns new federal institutions only. It does not close any school, and the reports do not say it changes admission procedures. The sections below explain what is being asked, why, which institutions are covered, and what candidates should do.

The Seven-Year Moratorium at a Glance

• Who is asking: The Federal Ministry of Education, through Minister Tunji Alausa.
• Who is being asked: The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the leadership of the National Assembly. The memo was also copied to the Senate Majority Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele.
• What is requested: Restraint in considering and passing bills to establish additional federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for seven years.
• Date of the memo: 2 November 2026.
• Policy origin: The Federal Executive Council approved the seven-year moratorium on 13 August 2025.
• Bills pending: More than 200 bills for new federal tertiary institutions are before lawmakers, according to one report.
• Stated limit: The minister said the pause is not meant to deny Nigerians tertiary education permanently.

What the Federal Government Is Asking For

The appeal is contained in a memo from the Federal Ministry of Education addressed to the Senate President. Reports say the memo acknowledges the constitutional power of the National Assembly to initiate and pass laws. Alausa argued that such proposals should follow national education policy, show a real need, and take account of what the new institutions would cost.

The minister also pointed out that, despite the Federal Executive Council’s decision in 2025, bills for new federal tertiary institutions have continued to receive attention in the legislature. His request is that lawmakers hold back on these bills for the seven-year period. He warned that an institution created by law without a feasibility study, a proven need and a reliable long-term funding plan can end up existing on paper without the resources to function.

What a Moratorium Means in Plain Terms

A moratorium is an agreed pause on an activity. Here, the activity is creating new federal tertiary institutions. Three terms are worth understanding.

• Bill: A proposed law. A new federal university usually comes into being when the National Assembly passes an establishment bill and the President signs it. The 200 or so bills mentioned in reports are proposals of this kind.
• Federal Executive Council (FEC): The government’s top policy body, made up of the President, the Vice President and ministers. It approved the moratorium in August 2025.
• Request versus law: The FEC decision binds the executive arm of government, but it cannot stop the National Assembly from passing a bill. That is why the minister wrote to ask for cooperation. Nothing in the reports reviewed says that the National Assembly has agreed.

Which Institutions Are Covered

The request covers three categories of new federal institutions:

• Federal universities
• Federal polytechnics
• Federal colleges of education

Three things follow from this wording.

First, existing institutions are not affected. Federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education already established, such as those students apply to through JAMB, continue to operate.

Second, the reports speak about federal institutions. They do not mention state-owned universities or private universities. Whether the policy touches the licensing of private institutions is not addressed in the material reviewed, so no claim is made here either way.

Third, the pause concerns the creation of institutions. It does not mention changes to cut-off marks, post-UTME screening, the admission portal or any JAMB procedure.

Why the Federal Government Wants the Pause

The memo gives several reasons, and the Federal Government presents them as connected.

Existing Institutions Are Struggling

Alausa said the immediate challenge in tertiary education is no longer simply expanding access but strengthening what already exists. He described existing federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education as facing inadequate lecture halls, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient laboratories, a shortage of qualified personnel, accommodation deficits and deteriorating facilities.

Funding Gaps

The minister cited specific figures to show the difficulty of meeting current obligations:

• Out of the ₦1.3 trillion Federal Government and ASUU revitalisation commitment for 2013 to 2018, only ₦250 billion was reportedly released between 2013 and 2021.
• Of the additional ₦150 billion approved in 2025 for the Needs Assessment Intervention, only ₦50 billion was initially released.

His argument is that if existing commitments are hard to fund, adding institutions without guaranteed budget provision raises doubts about whether they can be sustained.

Competing Demands on Government Money

The memo also lists other programmes that need steady funding. These include interventions by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), vocational and skills acquisition programmes, the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Tools Allowance (CONTTA). Alausa said these should not be weakened by creating more institutions without clear financing.

The Cost of a New Institution

Setting up a new institution involves more than passing a bill. The minister listed land acquisition, buildings, recruitment of staff, equipment, utilities and recurrent spending as long-term obligations. He warned that institutions created without proper studies and funding can become liabilities that later governments must merge, restructure or close.

The Ekiti and Imo Examples

To support the point, the memo cites two states. Ekiti merged three state-owned universities into one, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, in 2011. Imo State, according to the minister, reviewed and integrated institutions after several were created under earlier administrations. He also noted that some state governments have approached the Federal Government to take over their universities because of financial difficulty.

International Comparisons

Alausa also referred to Australia, Finland, Japan, the United States and South Africa, where institutions have been merged or consolidated to deal with funding limits, duplicated programmes and administrative inefficiency. His conclusion was that Nigeria should put viability and academic quality ahead of a rising number of institutions, and that the success of the sector should be judged by the capacity of existing institutions to produce competent graduates and not by how many institutions exist.

What the Minister Says the Moratorium Is Not

The memo anticipates the objection that the policy shuts people out of university. Alausa said it is not intended to permanently deny Nigerians access to tertiary education or to block future expansion where a compelling national need exists. In his words as reported, the aim is to give government time to deal with existing weaknesses, raise standards and make sure future expansion is planned and financially sustainable.

This matters for readers because the policy is described as time-limited and conditional. If counted from the August 2025 approval, seven years would run into 2032, but the reports do not state an exact end date, so treat that as arithmetic and not an official date.

Timeline

What This Means for JAMB Candidates and Parents

The reports do not describe any effect on UTME, Direct Entry, post-UTME screening or the admission process. The points below are general recommendations drawn from the situation, and they are not official JAMB guidance.

• Keep your plans. Apply to existing federal, state and private institutions as you normally would. The pause concerns future institutions.
• Be careful with “new federal university” claims. If a website, agent or social media post advertises admission into a newly created federal institution, check it before paying anything. The government’s stated position is that it wants fewer new federal institutions, not more.
• Verify approval. Before choosing any institution, confirm that it is approved and that its programme is accredited, using the National Universities Commission and JAMB’s official channels.
• Expect continued pressure on space. The minister described overcrowded classrooms and accommodation shortages in existing federal institutions. The reports give no figures on admission capacity, so candidates should have a realistic second and third choice and a plan for alternative routes.
• Follow official sources. JAMB and the Federal Ministry of Education announce policy changes that affect candidates.

What Happens Next

The next step belongs to the National Assembly. The Senate and the House of Representatives can choose to hold back the bills, continue considering them, or respond in another way. The reports reviewed did not include a reaction from lawmakers, university unions or other stakeholders, so it is too early to say how the request will be received.

Candidates and parents should treat the memo as a statement of the government’s current position and not as a settled outcome.

Common Questions

Is the seven-year moratorium now law?

No. The Federal Executive Council approved it as government policy in August 2025, and the minister is now asking the National Assembly to support it by holding back establishment bills. The reports do not say that lawmakers have agreed.

Will any existing federal university, polytechnic or college of education close?

The reports do not say so. The memo concerns the establishment of new institutions. The minister did mention that unsustainable institutions can later be merged or closed, but he used this as a warning about creating them without funding, and he cited Ekiti and Imo as examples.

Does the pause affect state and private universities?

The reports speak only of federal institutions. They do not address state or private universities, so there is no basis to say they are affected.

Will it change how I apply through JAMB?

Nothing in the reports says so. Admission procedures, cut-off marks and screening are not part of the memo. Follow JAMB’s official announcements for any change.

Does the pause apply forever?

No. It is described as a seven-year moratorium, and the minister said it is not meant to be a permanent denial of access or to prevent expansion where there is a compelling national need.

Why mention NELFUND and TETFund?

Because the minister argued that these programmes compete for the same public money. He said they need sustained funding and should not be weakened by establishing institutions without clear financing plans.

Can the National Assembly ignore the request?

The memo itself acknowledges that the National Assembly has the constitutional power to make laws. The minister is appealing for restraint and not giving an order.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating a request as a final decision. The National Assembly has not been reported as agreeing.
• Assuming existing schools are in danger. The memo is about creating new institutions.
• Believing unverified admission offers. Be careful of anyone who claims a new federal institution is ready to admit students. Check with the school, JAMB and the National Universities Commission.
• Spreading unconfirmed numbers. Use the figures reported from the memo and avoid repeating figures from social media that you cannot trace.
• Ignoring your backup choices. The memo highlights crowded facilities in existing institutions, so prepare alternatives in your application plan.

Summary and Next Steps

The Federal Government is asking the National Assembly to suspend consideration and passage of bills for new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for seven years. The policy was approved by the Federal Executive Council on 13 August 2025, and the minister’s memo of 2 November 2026 repeats the request to the Senate leadership. His reasons are funding gaps, strained facilities, competing commitments such as NELFUND and TETFund, and lessons from Ekiti and Imo. He says it is not permanent and that exceptions can be considered where a compelling need exists. The National Assembly’s response has not been reported.

Here is what students and parents should do:

1. Continue with your UTME, Direct Entry or post-UTME plans as usual, since no change to admission has been announced.
2. Choose institutions that already exist and verify their approval and programme accreditation through official channels.
3. Treat any advert for a “new federal university” with caution until you have confirmed it.
4. Follow announcements from JAMB, the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Assembly for any development.
5. Keep at least one alternative choice of institution or programme in your plan.