The Federal Government has warned that any federal university found setting up satellite campuses without proper approval will face strict punishment.
This decision was made known by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in a memo sent to the National Universities Commission (NUC) on May 30, 2025.
According to the minister, the move is part of efforts to improve the standard of tertiary education across Nigeria.
The memo directed the NUC to inform all federal universities that no new satellite campus should be created unless it has been approved by the Ministry of Education through the NUC’s Executive Secretary.
Dr. Alausa noted that there has been a growing trend of universities creating satellite campuses in various locations without proper planning.
These new campuses are often lacking in academic structure and infrastructure.
Rather than improving the capacity of their main campuses, some university leaders are choosing to set up new sites that are poorly equipped.
This practice, according to the minister, goes against the government’s goal of improving the quality of university education.
It also affects the overall image and long-term future of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
There have been past reports of universities setting up such campuses in breach of existing rules.
The NUC has previously warned against this and even set up a special committee to track and close such illegal centres.
That committee was reformed in 2021 and reportedly achieved strong results in shutting down non-approved institutions.
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