FG Opposes National Assembly’s Proposal for Nearly 200 New Universities
The federal government has expressed strong opposition to the National Assembly’s proposal to create nearly 200 new universities, citing concerns over the strain on the country’s higher education system.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made this known in Abuja during the third edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing. He emphasized the need to strengthen the capacities of existing universities rather than establishing new ones.
Concerns Over Expansion Without Capacity
“They (lawmakers) are passing a lot of bills. Today, I can tell you that there are almost 200 bills in the National Assembly. We can’t continue like this,” Alausa stated. “Even though we have a lot of universities, the capacity for them to admit students is not there. What we need to do now is to rebuild capacities so that we can offer more viable courses to our citizens.”
The minister noted that there is growing pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding the proliferation of universities, urging legislators to focus on mobilizing resources for improving existing institutions.
“We need to stop this from happening. There is so much pressure on the president. We have to, at least, be sensitive to it as well,” he said.
Overcrowding vs. Underutilization
Nigeria currently has:
• 64 federal universities
• 67 state universities
• 147 private universities
Despite this, private universities account for only 7.5% of total undergraduate enrollment. The total undergraduate population stands at about 875,000 students, which Alausa described as relatively low.
“We have universities with less than 1,000 undergraduate students, and yet, there is intense demand for more universities to be opened. We have to stop that,” he warned.
Contradictions in Policy on New Universities
Despite the government’s temporary one-year moratorium on registering new private universities, the administration has continued approving the establishment of federal universities.
Recently, President Tinubu assented to the creation of:
• Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State
• Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State
• Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET), Tai, Rivers State
• Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State
Additionally, 11 private universities were recently approved, including:
• New City University, Ayetoro, Ogun State
• University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State
• Minaret University, Ikirun, Osun State
• Lens University, Ilemona, Kwara State
• Kevin Eze University, Mgbowo, Enugu State
Legislators Silent on Government’s Opposition
Efforts to get reactions from Senate and House of Representatives spokesmen—Senator Yemi Adaramodu and Hon. Akin Rotimi—proved futile, as they did not respond to calls or messages. Similarly, House Deputy Spokesman Philip Agbese and House Committee Chairman on University Education, Hassan Fulata, declined to comment.
As the debate continues, stakeholders are left questioning whether Nigeria should prioritize expanding its number of universities or improving the quality and capacity of existing ones.