The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has issued a decisive warning to all Federal Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education across Nigeria, stating that any satellite campus established without prior approval from their respective regulatory bodies—the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE)—will be subject to strict sanctions.
This directive was conveyed in a memo dated May 30, 2025, addressed to the Executive Secretaries of the NUC, NBTE, and NCCE. In the memo, the Minister expressed deep concern over the increasing establishment of unauthorized and unjustified satellite campuses by Federal Tertiary Institutions. He highlighted that many of these campuses lack the academic rigor, strategic relevance, and infrastructural readiness required for sustainable education delivery.
Dr. Alausa noted that the unchecked proliferation of such campuses threatens the integrity and quality of Nigeria’s tertiary education system. “Rather than strengthening existing campuses, some Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts are diverting limited resources to create inadequately equipped satellite campuses. This approach is counterproductive and harmful to our educational standards,” he warned.
To curb this trend, the Minister directed the NUC, NBTE, and NCCE to officially notify all institutions under their regulation that the establishment of any satellite campus must receive express approval from the Honourable Minister of Education through the respective regulatory agency. Any violation of this directive, he stated, will attract appropriate disciplinary measures.
Dr. Alausa reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Education’s commitment to maintaining high standards in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector and ensuring that institutional expansion is strategic, sustainable, and aligned with national development priorities.
Elijah Adeyemi
