Senate stops work on bills for new universities, backs Tinubu's freeze

The Senate has told its committees to stop work on bills seeking to create new universities and other tertiary institutions, backing a Federal Government policy to strengthen existing schools first.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele announced the directive during plenary on Wednesday. It affects the Committees on Tertiary Institutions and on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the agency that funds public tertiary schools.

Bamidele said the pause would let existing universities and other institutions consolidate their operations and improve infrastructure before more are added. He asked the Clerk of the Senate, Dr Emmanuel Odo, to guide senators on the policy, noting that some may not know the government's position.

He also advised the education committees not to bring such bills to the floor for now. He admitted that lawmakers often find it hard to turn down colleagues asking for support to set up schools in their areas.

What Akpabio said

Senate President Godswill Akpabio said President Bola Tinubu had discussed the matter with the leadership of the National Assembly. According to him, the President does not want new universities, polytechnics or other tertiary institutions for the next five to seven years.

Akpabio said the moratorium is meant to give existing institutions time to build infrastructure and run properly. He noted that several recently established universities exist largely on paper, with some yet to secure permanent sites or complete site-clearance processes.

He stressed that setting up a university is a serious national responsibility, not as simple as opening a primary school. Universities, he said, are national institutions expected to admit students from all parts of the country.

Akpabio then directed the Clerk of the Senate to ensure bills for new tertiary institutions are no longer listed for consideration. The Senate adjourned plenary until Tuesday next week.

Why it matters to students

The freeze builds on a decision announced in March by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, after a Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by Tinubu. He said the government was suspending the establishment of privately owned universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for six years.

Alausa cited Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) figures showing that more than 2.3 million candidates sought admission the previous year, while fewer than 228,000 got places in public universities. The government said the gap and the need to raise the capacity of existing schools informed the decision.

For admission seekers, the message is that the push is to expand spaces in schools that already exist rather than open new ones. Whether that translates into more places is the question many families will be watching.

At the same council meeting, the government restored the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education to full status as an independent commission, approved changes to the National Postgraduate Medical College Act to treat medical fellowships as equivalent to PhDs, and approved insurance cover for the 180 federal unity schools.