NBTE Orders Polytechnics to Shut Unapproved Campuses, Sets September 2027 Deadline

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has directed polytechnics and other Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions operating satellite campuses or unapproved study centres to wind down their operations and return them to their officially approved main campuses on or before September 2027.

Implementation of the National Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of Additional Campuses

The directive was contained in a circular dated August 14, 2026, signed by the Director, Inspectorate Department, Murtala Aliyu Sakwa, PhD, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the NBTE, Prof. Idris M. Bugaje. The circular was addressed to all Rectors, Provosts and Heads of TVET institutions.

The Board said the directive followed the Federal Government’s approval of the National Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of Additional Campuses by Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria (2026) and ordered institutions under its regulatory jurisdiction to begin immediate implementation.

According to the NBTE, the guidelines provide a uniform regulatory framework for the establishment, approval, operation, monitoring and evaluation of additional campuses. Compliance with the framework is mandatory for all polytechnics and other institutions within the Board’s regulatory jurisdiction.

The Board said the new guidelines supersede previous guidelines on the subject and were introduced partly to address the proliferation of unauthorised and unregulated campuses, which it said posed significant risks to academic quality, institutional credibility and the sustainability of the tertiary education system.

Under the new framework, no polytechnic is permitted to establish or commence operation of an additional campus without prior approval from the NBTE. Any proposal must first be endorsed by the institution’s appropriate academic approving authority and Governing Council before being submitted to the Board for consideration.

The NBTE also warned institutions against interpreting approval to operate an academic programme, department, school, faculty or other academic unit as approval to establish an additional campus. It stated that approval for an additional campus would only be granted after the institution satisfactorily meets the requirements contained in the national guidelines.

Only duly approved polytechnics are eligible to apply for additional campuses, while institutions under sanction or probation are not eligible. A proposed additional campus must also be located within the same state as the main campus and must not be more than 200 kilometres from the main campus.

The guidelines further provide that an institution must not have more than three campuses in total, including its main campus. Applicants are also required to provide evidence of land ownership in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, as well as an approved physical development plan for the proposed campus.

The NBTE has equally imposed strict infrastructure requirements. Every additional campus must operate from purpose-built and permanently designated facilities suitable for tertiary education and must not operate from rented or shared facilities.

Such campuses are expected to provide adequate lecture rooms and tutorial facilities, functional laboratories, studios, farms or workshops where applicable, a standard library with current physical and electronic resources, adequate ICT infrastructure and internet connectivity, administrative offices and student support facilities.

They must also have appropriate safety and accessibility provisions, perimeter fencing and security arrangements, stable electricity and potable water supplies, good road access and appropriate landscaping.

On academic standards, the Board stated that only programmes approved by the NBTE may be offered at an additional campus. Academic standards maintained at the additional campus must be identical to those of the main campus, while programmes already domiciled at the main campus must not be replicated at the additional campus.

The guidelines further require all programmes to comply fully with applicable NBTE Minimum Standards. Professional and laboratory-based programmes can only be offered where the necessary facilities, equipment and qualified personnel are available.

The Board has also tightened staffing requirements, stipulating that the administrative head of an additional campus of a polytechnic must not be below the rank of Chief Lecturer. Additional campuses are required to maintain an adequate number of qualified full-time academic, technical and administrative staff.

The NBTE specifically stated that adjunct, visiting or part-time lecturers must not be used as substitutes for the required number of full-time staff. Appropriate staff-to-student ratios must also be maintained to support effective teaching, supervision, assessment, student support and quality assurance.

On admissions, students admitted into programmes operated at approved additional campuses must be admitted in accordance with Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) procedures and the institution’s approved regulations. Enrolment must not exceed the approved carrying capacity, while admission quotas must reflect available facilities and staffing.

Of particular significance is the directive affecting existing satellite campuses and unapproved study centres. The guidelines direct all tertiary institutions operating such centres to wind down their operations and transition them back to their officially approved main campuses on or before September 2027.

The NBTE clarified that disclosure of an existing satellite campus or unapproved study centre to the Board does not constitute approval or recognition of the centre and does not automatically confer eligibility to continue its operation.

Institutions wishing to establish an additional campus at a location currently being used as a satellite campus, study centre or outreach centre may submit a fresh application to the NBTE. Such an application will be subjected to the prescribed regulatory assessment and will not be regarded as an automatic conversion or regularisation of the existing centre.

The Board said it would conduct on-site verification and resource inspection of every proposed additional campus before approval for commencement of operations is granted. It will also conduct periodic programme audits and monitoring visits to ensure continued compliance with the guidelines and applicable NBTE standards.

The guidelines provide for sanctions against institutions that operate unapproved additional campuses, satellite campuses or study centres. Graduates from unapproved additional campuses will not be mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

Certificates obtained from unapproved additional campuses will also not be recognised for further studies, employment, promotion, career advancement or other purposes. Defaulting institutions may additionally face regulatory sanctions, including denial of resource verification or assessment for the establishment of new programmes.

The NBTE has therefore directed all Rectors, Provosts and Heads of TVET institutions to familiarise themselves with the new National Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of Additional Campuses by Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria (2026) and ensure strict compliance.

The Board stressed that the new guidelines constitute the operational framework for all future applications for additional campuses, while existing satellite campuses and unapproved study centres are to be handled in line with the prescribed transition and wind-down arrangements.

The circular, issued on August 14, 2026, is for immediate compliance and implementation, signalling a major regulatory tightening of the operation of additional campuses, satellite centres and study centres across Nigeria’s technical and vocational education sector.