The National Universities Commission (NUC) has increased the processing fee for establishing private universities from N5,000,000 to N25,000,000.
Additionally, the Commission has imposed a one-year moratorium on approving new private universities, effective Monday, February 10th, 2025.
LEADERSHIP reports that Nigeria currently has 149 private universities approved by the federal government through the National Universities Commission since 1999.
In a statement titled “Moratorium on the Establishment of New Private Universities in Nigeria,” the NUC also raised the fee for purchasing application forms to establish private universities from N1,000,000 to N5,000,000.
Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, Executive Secretary of the NUC, explained that the Commission is working to reposition private universities in Nigeria to meet the public’s needs better and improve the coordination of the private university education subsector within the Nigerian University System (NUS).
He said the review of the guidelines for establishing private universities aims to ensure that newly established institutions can address the challenges of the 21st century.
The Commission also suspended further processing for inactive applications, including those from private open universities that have not made progress or submitted documents to the Commission for over two years.
Additionally, applications at the stage of submitting Letters of Intent will no longer be processed. The revised processing fee of N25,000,000 applies only to applicants who have already purchased application forms.
These applicants are required to make payments within 30 working days or risk forfeiting their pending applications.
The NUC has also imposed a one-year moratorium on new applications for establishing private universities, including private open universities. This moratorium allows the Commission to review pending applications and determine their viability comprehensively.
The Commission is also reviewing other aspects of the guidelines for establishing private universities to ensure that the proposed institutions are equipped to meet future challenges. I’ll let stakeholders know about the review in due course.
Professor Ribadu clarified that the NUC will continue to process active applications and make appropriate recommendations to the Federal Executive Council for approval.
“The Commission hereby suspends further processing of all inactive applications, including those of private open universities (i.e. those that have not made progress on their applications or made submissions to the Commission for upwards of two years).
“Applications are only at the stage of submission of Letters of Intent. The Fee for the purchase of application forms for the establishment of a private university is hereby reviewed from One Million (N1,000,000.00) Naira to (Five Million (N5,000,000.00) Naira;
“The Processing Fee for Application for the Establishment of a Private University is hereby reviewed from Five Million (N5,000,000.00) Naira to Twenty-Five Million (N25,000,000.00) Naira;
“The NUC will convey the reviewed Processing Fee of Twenty-Five Million (¥25,000,000.00) Naira to applicants that have purchased Application Forms only. They are also expected to effect payments within thirty (30) working days or risk forfeiture of their pending applications,” he added.
