Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa presented provisional licences to 11 newly approved private universities on Wednesday in Abuja.
The universities include City University, Ayetoro, Ogun State; University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State; Eranova University, Mabushi, FCT; Minaret University, Ikirun, Osun Annex; and Abubakar Toyin University, Oke-Agba, Kwara State.
Others are Southern Atlantic University, Uyo, Akwa Ibom; Lens University, Ilemona, Kwara; Monarch University, Iyesi-Ota, Ogun; Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City, Edo; Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, Lagos; and Kevin Eze University, Mgbowo, Enugu State.
Speaking at the presentation, Alausa emphasised that a true university should be a hub for education, talent development, and innovation, supported by competent staff and modern facilities, prioritising research and extending beyond local boundaries to global relevance.
He urged private universities to lead in academic excellence and align with national goals in STEM and technical education to address the shortage of skilled professionals in key sectors like healthcare and engineering.
He also called for collaboration among universities, both locally and internationally, to enhance resources, credibility, and programme diversity, encouraging them to be bold, visionary, and proactive in transforming Nigeria’s higher education.
“We are therefore charging all private universities, especially the new entrants here today, to align with our national priorities of expansive STEM education. In addition to STEM, we do have science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and education sciences, as well as our technical and vocational education and training agenda.
“These are the pillars upon which Nigeria will build its future workforce and industrial competitiveness. And the issue is the urgency of skilled professions in areas such as nursing, pharmacy, doctors, physical therapists, and competent engineers. We are more than enough social science graduates, with due respect, but we have to be realistic here.
“What Nigeria needs now are programme solvers, graduates with life skills that can power industries, build infrastructures, and improve the lives of engineers. Furthermore, the future of higher education is collaborative. I challenge private universities to form strategic alliances among themselves, share best practices, and even consider majors where feasible.
“These partnerships can help pool resources, expand programme offerings, and enhance academic credibility. Beyond local collaboration, we also encourage you to forge affiliations with reputable foreign universities. I have travelled widely across the globe and know that Nigeria is an attractive destination for transnational education.”
Also, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said the event marked significant progress in improving access to tertiary education, urging them to uphold academic integrity.
“These represent a significant extension of our universities’ carrying capacities and promote healthy competition and the development of Nigeria,” she said.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, congratulated the promoters of the new universities on establishing the institutions.
Private universities, he said, play a vital role in complementing the existing ones, noting that the process of establishment has evolved, with 159 private universities now in existence, including the newly approved ones.
He said the Commission recognises the significance of private universities in enhancing access to tertiary education, noting that the provisional license is granted for three years, after which a substantive license will be issued.
He also urged the universities to deploy the necessary resources for their commencement and encouraged them to find effective ways of implementing the CCMASS.
Ribadu further charged them to adhere to NUC regulations, adding that each of the new universities has been attached to an already established institution for mentorship.
Also speaking, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, advised the institutions to exercise integrity and sincerity, not imposing religious beliefs on candidates.
