The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday placed a six-year moratorium on the establishment of new tertiary institutions.

It also accorded recognition to medical fellowships as equivalent to doctoral degrees and restored the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education as an independent body.

These form part of reforms in the education sector approved by the Council.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the FEC meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the moratorium on the establishment of new universities, polytechnics and colleges of education was aimed at improving the quality and sustainability of existing tertiary institutions, particularly private universities.

While admitting that the demand for higher education remains high, he said most institutions are struggling with sustainability challenges.

“Today, access is not easy in the country. We have lots of tertiary institutions, both public and private, but we need to help these private institutions become financially sustainable.”

Giving statistics to support his position, the minister cited data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which showed that more than 2.3 million candidates applied for admission into universities last year, while public institutions had fewer than 228,000 available spaces.

He argued that the moratorium would allow the government to focus on strengthening existing institutions and improving the quality of education across the system.

The minister affirmed that the Tinubu administration remains committed to raising standards in Nigeria’s education sector.

“I am committed to ensuring that every single child and citizen of this country receives the highest quality of education comparable to anywhere in the world.”

Speaking on the restoration of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education to its full status, he said the decision is part of the administration’s broader plan to tackle Nigeria’s literacy challenges and equip millions of citizens with digital and basic education skills.

“In view of Mr President’s expansive agenda to educate over 50 million young adults in the next two to three years and make them digitally literate, we sought the approval of the council to revert it back to a commission, which Mr President graciously approved.”

“Today, we have about 56 million Nigerians that are illiterate. We can’t continue to have a high number of citizens that are illiterate.”

The minister also revealed to State House correspondents FEC’s approval of amendments to the National Postgraduate Medical College Act to recognise medical fellowship qualifications as equivalent to PhD degrees.

He said the proposed amendment is aimed at addressing career barriers faced by highly specialised medical professionals.

He criticised the existing arrangement in which doctors spend more than a decade undergoing medical training, residency and fellowship programmes, yet still require a PhD to qualify for professorial appointments in universities.

“These set of people in the medical sector have spent more years than the average candidate who obtains a PhD, so we need to harmonise that.”

According to the minister, once the proposed Executive Bill secures passage by the National Assembly, the reforms will allow fellows of the National Postgraduate Medical College to have their qualifications recognised as equivalent to a doctoral degree.

The Council also approved comprehensive insurance coverage for the country’s 180 Federal Unity Schools. (Nigerian Tribune)