…Revives adult literacy commission
By Adeyemi David
Nigeria’s federal government has imposed a six-year moratorium on the establishment of new universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, in a bid to strengthen the quality and financial sustainability of existing institutions.
The decision was announced by Tunji Alausa after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
“We have lots of tertiary institutions, both public and private. We need to help these private institutions be sustainable financially,” Alausa said.
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The moratorium comes amid a severe access problem in higher education. Last year, over 2.3 million candidates applied for university admission through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, yet fewer than 228,000 secured places in public universities. Despite this, the National Universities Commission approved 33 new universities in 2025 alone, bringing the total number to 309.
In addition, FEC moved to address what Alausa described as a literacy crisis by restoring the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education to full independent status.
The commission, previously operating with limited authority, has been tasked with educating over 50 million young adults and equipping them with digital skills over the next two to three years.
“Today, we have about 56 million Nigerians that are illiterate. We can’t continue to have a high number of citizens that are illiterate,” Alausa said.
NMEC plans to expand its outreach through radio, television, public advocacy, and community learning centres, with a focus on rural communities.
The council also approved two additional education measures: amendments to the National Postgraduate Medical College Act, recognising medical fellowships as equivalent to a PhD for academic career progression, and comprehensive insurance coverage for all 180 federal unity schools across the country.
