The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe, Lagos State, before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) imposed a seven-year moratorium on the creation of new federal tertiary institutions.
In a statement signed by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations, Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, explained that the President gave his approval for the new university through a Presidential Executive Memo prior to the FEC decision. Alausa also clarified that the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe, Lagos; the Federal University of Science and Technology, Kachia, Kaduna State; and the Federal University of Environment and Technology, Tai and Koroma in Ogoniland, Rivers State, were all approved simultaneously by President Tinubu.
He noted that the public announcement of the Epe university came later because the Senate was on its 2025 annual recess before passing the establishment bill. The bill was passed upon the resumption of the National Assembly, causing a delay in its formal transmission to the President.
The Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enforcing the seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary institutions, stressing that the policy remains “sacrosanct.” He assured that, apart from institutions already approved before the moratorium, no new federal universities, polytechnics, or colleges of education will be created during the stipulated period.
