The federal government has voiced concerns over the National Assembly’s proposal to establish nearly 200 new universities across Nigeria, warning that the country’s higher education system is already overstretched.
Speaking at the third edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja, Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, stressed the need to strengthen existing institutions rather than expand the number of universities. He noted that Nigeria currently has 278 universities, including 64 federal, 67 state, and 147 private institutions, many of which struggle with poor infrastructure, low enrollment, and limited capacity to deliver quality education.
“They (lawmakers) are passing a lot of bills. As of today, there are almost 200 bills in the National Assembly seeking the establishment of new universities. We can’t continue like this. The capacity for universities to admit students is simply not there. Instead, we should focus on rebuilding existing capacities to offer more viable courses to our citizens,” Alausa stated.
He also expressed concern over the increasing pressure on President Bola Tinubu to approve more universities, urging legislators to prioritize investments in infrastructure, laboratories, engineering workshops, and the recruitment of qualified teaching staff to improve the quality of education.
Alausa further highlighted that private universities, despite making up over half of the total institutions, account for only 7.5% of undergraduate enrollments. With total undergraduate enrollment at approximately 875,000, many universities have fewer than 1,000 students, raising doubts about the necessity of additional institutions.
The minister called for a strategic approach to education reform, emphasizing that quality, not quantity, should be the focus of Nigeria’s higher education sector.
