Stakeholders in the education sector have thrown their weight behind the Federal Government’s decision to place a moratorium on the establishment of new tertiary institutions.

The federal government announced a seven-year moratorium on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education on August 13, citing under-enrollment, resource strain, and inefficiency in existing institutions.

The decision, reached at a Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, stated that the moratorium is part of measures aimed at reforming the higher education sector.

In separate interviews in Abuja, the stakeholders argued that expanding the capacity of existing institutions would be more impactful and cost-effective.

The vice-chancellor of Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Adesola Ajayi, said the proliferation of universities in recent years has stretched Nigeria’s already limited educational infrastructure.

Mr Ajayi noted that, while Nigeria has a variety of universities, including federal, state, and specialised institutions, many of them operate far below capacity due to inadequate infrastructure and facilities.

The vice-chancellor said that there are higher institutions with fewer than 1,000 students, even 10 years after they were established.

According to the VC, many newly established universities, particularly those located in remote areas, lack basic infrastructure and struggle to attract workers. He added that some tertiary institutions were inaccessible to the students and staff members.

Mr Ajayi suggested that a 10–15-year pause on creating new universities would give the government time to significantly expand the capacity of existing institutions by channelling resources into upgrading their infrastructure and facilities.

Corroborating the position, Sola Adeyanju, the head of public affairs at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, described the moratorium as “a very good decision”.

Mr Adeyanju stressed that building new universities without adequate personnel and infrastructure would only spread limited resources too thinly.

He, however, called for greater investment in technical and vocational education, noting that this would address Nigeria’s shortage of skilled professionals more effectively than opening more conventional universities.

Also, the former vice-chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Noah Yusuf, expressed strong support for the federal government’s decision.

Mr Yusuf said the policy could help curb the politically motivated proliferation of federal higher institutions across the country. According to him, many of the federal universities and colleges established in recent years were sited mainly to satisfy political interests, often sparking conflicts between politicians and communities over their locations.

The education scholar urged the government to use the break to properly fund and upgrade existing institutions, applying UNESCO’s recommended budgetary allocation to education. He stressed that this would improve infrastructure, teaching quality, and research output across the country’s public universities and colleges.

Mr Yusuf said the moratorium could yield positive results in terms of improved regulation, better funding, and enhanced stability in Nigeria’s higher education sector.

He also highlighted the growing importance of private universities, noting that they have become the backbone of Nigeria’s higher education system by offering uninterrupted academic calendars and timely graduation.

(NAN)