Senate to suspend bills for new universities in line with FG policy

The Senate has directed its committees and the Clerk to suspend the processing of bills seeking the establishment of new universities and other tertiary institutions, in line with the Federal Government’s policy. Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, announced the directive during plenary on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to respect the government’s decision to halt the establishment of additional tertiary institutions.

Bamidele said the policy was aimed at strengthening existing universities and other institutions before considering the creation of new ones. He urged the Clerk of the Senate to inform lawmakers about the directive and advised relevant committees, particularly those on education, against presenting bills for new institutions for consideration. He acknowledged that lawmakers sometimes found it difficult to reject requests from colleagues seeking support for the establishment of universities and other tertiary institutions.

Supporting the directive, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said President Bola Tinubu had discussed the matter with the leadership of the National Assembly and expressed opposition to establishing new universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions for the next five to seven years. According to Akpabio, the moratorium would give existing institutions time to develop their infrastructure and commence effective academic operations.

He noted that some recently established universities existed largely on paper, with several yet to acquire permanent sites or complete necessary site-clearance processes. The Senate President stressed that establishing a university was a major national responsibility, noting that such institutions should not be created with the same ease as primary schools.

He added that universities were national institutions expected to admit students from across the country, regardless of their geographical locations. Akpabio said the Federal Government had made efforts to ensure the geographical spread of universities across the country, making it important to consolidate existing investments. He consequently directed the Clerk to ensure that bills seeking the establishment of new tertiary institutions were no longer listed for consideration.

The Senate adjourned plenary until November 10, 2026, at 11 a.m. (NAN)