The Nigerian federal government has voiced its opposition to the National Assembly's proposals to establish nearly 200 new universities, citing concerns about the system becoming overwhelmed. Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, highlighted this issue during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja, noting that there are currently 278 universities in the country: 64 federal, 67 state, and 147 private.

Alausa emphasized that strengthening existing universities is more critical than creating new ones. He pointed out that the National Assembly is considering almost 200 bills for new universities, which is unsustainable. The government had previously announced a one-year moratorium on establishing new private universities to ensure that only institutions with the necessary financial and academic capacity are licensed.

“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. He added that the capacity of existing universities to admit students is limited, and efforts should focus on rebuilding these capacities to offer more viable courses. He also appealed to legislators to be sensitive to the pressure on the president and to recognize the existing opportunities for students in current universities.

The minister stressed the need to mobilize resources to develop infrastructure, build engineering workshops and laboratories, and recruit international-standard teachers. He noted that private universities account for only 7.5% of total undergraduate enrollment, with approximately 875,000 undergraduate students currently enrolled across all universities. Many universities have fewer than 1,000 undergraduate students, yet the demand for new universities persists.

It was also noted that legislators are not the only ones pushing for new universities as constituency projects or status symbols. Despite the moratorium on private universities, the government continues to approve new federal universities, sometimes at the behest of powerful individuals in the executive arm or through collaboration with legislators. Recent examples include the establishment of the Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State, and the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State. Additionally, the Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET) was approved in Tai, Rivers State, and the privately-owned NOK University, Kachia in Southern Kaduna was converted to the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia.

Within the same period, the federal government approved 11 new private universities, including New City University, Ayetoro, Ogun State; University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State; and Eranova University, Mabushi, Abuja, among others.

When contacted, spokespersons for the Senate and the House of Representatives did not respond to inquiries regarding the government’s opposition to the new university proposals.

In related efforts to enhance education, Alausa mentioned measures to provide almajirai with school feeding and vocational training programs, along with grants for Tsangaya and Quranic teachers. These programs aim to integrate numeracy, literacy, and vocational skills into Almajiri education. The government is also addressing the root causes of migration by providing conditional transfers to mothers in rural areas, contingent on their children's school attendance.

Alausa noted the dilapidated condition of many of the 115 almajiri schools built by the previous administration and announced collaboration between the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Almajiri Commission to revitalize these schools.

The minister also urged specialized universities to focus on their mandates and reduce non-technical courses, suggesting these be offered in conventional universities instead. He affirmed that the Education Tax Fund would continue to support infrastructure development and the improvement of educational facilities.

Further, Alausa announced a six-month free skills training program to address the two million job gaps in the country. This initiative, through the Digital Training Academy (DTA), aims to equip Nigerians with skills in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, IT automation, AI, machine learning, and cloud computing. The government will cover internet services and certification costs for participants. The training is expected to launch by June 2025.

President Tinubu has approved N120 billion as a start-up fund for students' entrepreneurial endeavors in vocational and technical training. This will involve a dual mode of training, with students spending three days in school, one day in gigantic training, and one day in workshops.

Finally, the minister revealed that President Tinubu has approved N40 billion to commence work on the uncompleted National Library site, aimed at supporting academic and research needs.

In other news, a bill to introduce early voting for essential workers, including election officials, security personnel, journalists, and observers, has passed its second reading in the Senate. Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, the bill's sponsor, stated that this amendment seeks to address the disenfranchisement of over one million citizens who are crucial to ensuring free, fair, and credible elections. He noted that declining voter turnout is partly due to the exclusion of these workers.

Yar’Adua emphasized that equal opportunity must be given to all citizens to participate in elections. He highlighted that the exclusion of those involved in making elections successful has characterized all elections in the Fourth Republic, becoming particularly alarming in the 2023 elections, where over one million ad-hoc staff were disenfranchised. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters for further review.