The Federal Government of Nigeria, under President Bola Tinubu, has enacted a six-year moratorium on approving new universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to bolster quality and financial viability in existing ones. Announced by Education Minister Tunji Alausa after a Federal Executive Council meeting, the move addresses admission bottlenecks as JAMB data shows over 2.3 million applicants last year, but only about 228,000 gained spots in public universities.
The council also reinstated the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) as a fully independent body. NMEC, founded in 1990 to eradicate illiteracy via strategies with governments and NGOs, now has a bold plan to digitally upskill over 50 million young adults in 2-3 years, targeting Nigeria’s 56 million illiterates through rural radio, TV, advocacy, and community centers.
Additional approvals include equating medical fellowships to PhDs under the National Postgraduate Medical College Act and full insurance for 180 federal unity schools. This follows the NUC’s 2025 approval of 33 new universities, raising the total to 309.
