The Nigerian Senate has directed its committees to stop considering bills seeking the establishment of new universities and other tertiary institutions in the country.
Naija News reports that the decision follows the Federal Government’s six-year moratorium on the establishment of new higher institutions to give existing schools time to improve their facilities and academic standards.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, announced the directive during plenary on Wednesday.
He said the order applied to the Senate Committees on Tertiary Institutions and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
Bamidele asked the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, to inform lawmakers about the government’s policy to prevent them from presenting bills that go against the decision.
He also advised the committees responsible for education matters to stop forwarding proposals for the creation of new tertiary institutions for consideration during plenary sessions.
He said: “The policy is necessary to allow existing universities and other tertiary institutions to consolidate their operations and improve infrastructure before additional institutions were considered.
“I also advised education committees to avoid presenting bills seeking the establishment of new institutions for consideration during plenary.
“The Federal Government had made efforts to distribute universities across different parts of the country, making it necessary to consolidate existing investments.”
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