The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval for the establishment of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe, Lagos State, was granted well before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) adopted its seven-year moratorium on the creation of new federal tertiary institutions.
In a statement on Sunday November 9, 2025 in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Chief (Dr.) Olatunji Alausa, explained that the President had already approved the establishment of the university via presidential executive memo prior to the FEC’s decision.
Dr. Alausa noted that the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe, Lagos; Federal University of Science and Technology, Kachia, Kaduna State and Federal University of Environment and Technology, Tai and Koroma in Ogoni land, Rivers State, were all approved at the same time by the President.
He further clarified that the announcement of the Epe university came later only because the Senate went on its 2025 annual recess just before the passage of the establishment bill. This was then passed upon resumption of the National Assembly leading to a delay in its formal transmission of the bill to Mr President.
The Minister reaffirmed that the Federal Government remains fully committed to enforcing the seven-year moratorium on establishment of new federal tertiary institutions and this moratorium remains sacrosanct. “The Federal Government will not approve any new federal tertiary institutions within that period of moratorium,” he said.
