…Says Access No Longer Nigeria’s Main Challenge
…Mass Literacy Agency Restored To Tackle 56m Illiteracy Burden
…Medical Fellowships Now Recognised As PhD Equivalent
Daud Olatunji
The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved a six-year moratorium on the establishment of new universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country, declaring that access to tertiary education is no longer Nigeria’s major problem.
The council also restored the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education to its full autonomous status and endorsed reforms recognising medical fellowships as equivalent to PhD qualifications.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed the decisions to journalists after the FEC meeting presided over by Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Alausa said the six-year freeze on new tertiary institutions was part of efforts to consolidate existing structures and improve standards rather than expand numbers.
“Today, access is no longer the issue in the country. We have a large number of tertiary institutions, both public and private,” he said, stressing that the government would now prioritise quality assurance, infrastructure upgrade and improved learning outcomes.
On mass literacy, the minister said the commission, which had earlier been downgraded to a department under the Federal Ministry of Education, would regain its independent status in view of its strategic importance.
He noted that the restoration was driven by the administration’s plan to drastically reduce the country’s high illiteracy rate, currently estimated at 56 million Nigerians.
“Today, we have about 56 million Nigerians who are illiterate. We cannot continue to have such a high number of citizens without basic education,” Alausa said.
He added that the commission, established in 2013, would intensify adult and non-formal education programmes, especially in rural communities, through radio and television broadcasts as well as community-based learning centres.
In another major reform, the council approved amendments to the National Postgraduate Medical College Act to address what the minister described as a longstanding professional disparity in medical education.
Alausa explained that the reform would recognise medical fellowships as equivalent to PhD qualifications, thereby removing barriers faced by super-specialised doctors seeking academic advancement.
“We need to remove the dichotomy involving doctors who spent nearly 16 years from medical school through residency and fellowship, yet are required to obtain a PhD before qualifying for professorial positions,” he said.
The council also approved comprehensive insurance coverage for the 180 Federal Unity Schools nationwide to safeguard critical infrastructure and assets.
According to the minister, the move forms part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to reposition and revitalise unity schools in line with ongoing reforms in the education sector.
The decisions signal a significant policy shift by the Tinubu administration, with renewed emphasis on tackling mass illiteracy, strengthening professional recognition in the medical field, and consolidating the country’s expanding tertiary education system.
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