Federal Government Approves Nine New Private Universities

The Federal Government has given the green light for the establishment of nine new private universities across Nigeria. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the approval after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

The Tinubu administration inherited 551 pending requests for the establishment of tertiary institutions, which were subjected to stricter approval guidelines. After reviewing the applications, the number was reduced to 79 active proposals, out of which nine were cleared.

The Federal Government has placed a moratorium on new applications for private universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, except those meeting the new operational standards. This move aims to address the issue of poorly subscribed institutions and improve the overall quality of education in Nigeria.

The Minister of Education explained that the approvals were delayed due to inefficiencies within the National Universities Commission (NUC), which have now been addressed through reforms. Many of the approved universities had been awaiting accreditation for over six years, with their promoters having already built campuses and invested billions of naira.