Victoria Mbangwa
In a decisive move to protect the quality and integrity of tertiary education in Nigeria, the Federal Government has mandated that no satellite campus be established by Federal Universities, Polytechnics, or Colleges of Education without prior approval from the Ministry of Education through their respective regulatory agencies.
This directive was conveyed in a memo dated May 30, 2025, and addressed to the Executive Secretaries of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
The memo, signed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Wednesday, he expressed concern over the increasing trend of tertiary institutions expanding through unapproved satellite campuses. He warned that such practices threaten the sustainability and credibility of Nigeria’s educational system.
“Many of these newly created Satellite campuses lack the necessary academic, strategic, and infrastructural backing to justify their existence,”Alausa noted. “Rather than focusing on improving existing campuses, some Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts are diverting limited resources to set up inadequately equipped new Satellite campuses, which is counterproductive and detrimental to educational standards.”
The Minister emphasized that all federal tertiary institutions must obtain express approval before setting up satellite campuses, a process that must be routed through the NUC, NBTE, or NCCE, depending on the type of institution.
To reinforce compliance, Alausa instructed the regulatory agencies to formally communicate the directive to all institutions under their oversight. He warned that institutions found flouting the order would face disciplinary actions.
“Failure to comply with this directive will not be treated lightly and will attract appropriate disciplinary measures,” he concluded.
