The federal government has imposed a six-year ban on the establishment of new universities, polytechnics and colleges of education as part of efforts to strengthen quality and ensure sustainability across existing tertiary institutions.
The decision was reached at Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
Today, access is not easy in the country. We have lots of tertiary institutions, both public and private. We need to help these private institutions be sustainable financially,” Alausa said.
Citing data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the minister disclosed that over 2.3 million candidates applied for admission last year, but fewer than 228,000 secured placements in public universities, highlighting the growing demand-supply gap in higher education.
In a related development, FEC restored the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC) to its full status as an independent commission. Alausa said the move followed a presentation by the commission’s chairman outlining an ambitious plan to educate more than 50 million young adults within the next two to three years and equip them with digital literacy skills.