The federal government has approved provisional licenses for 11 new private universities nationwide, further expanding Nigeria’s higher education sector.
Minister of Education Tunji Alausa announced the approvals after the federal executive council meeting, which President Bola Tinubu presided over at the Presidential Villa.
The newly approved institutions include New City University, Ayetoro, Ogun State, University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State, Eranova University, Mabushi, FCT and Minaret University, Ikirun, Osun Annex.
Others are “Abubakar Toyin University, Oke-Agba, Kwara State; Southern Atlantic University, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; Lens University, Ilemona, Kwara State; and Monarch University, Iyesi-Ota, Ogun State.
Others are Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City, Edo State; Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, Lagos; and Kevin Eze University, Mgbowo, Enugu State.
He said: “So, the 11 universities have fulfilled the rigorous requirement of the National University Commission‘s 13-step process to be awarded the provisional licenses to start operation.
“We‘ve approved these 11 universities and issued a moratorium for all new universities.
“The ones approved today are the ones that have almost reached the finalisation stage, but there‘s a moratorium now on the issuance of licenses to new private universities.
However, we‘ve decided to review the ones that passed the second visit, and if they meet all the requirements, we‘ll approve them.
Some more will still be coming to the FEC for approval. I wanted to be clear that we don‘t have communication, that a moratorium has been placed on new universities, and that the FEC continues to approve new universities.
The ones that have gone through the advanced stage of their processes have invested money, and we‘re very mindful of those investments. We will continue to process those as they meet the rigorous requirements of the National University Commission,” he added.
