The Federal Government, has presented
operational licenses to 11 newly approved private universities to expand access
to quality tertiary education.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, at the
presentation of the licences to the new private universities in Abuja on
Wednesday, said it was sequel to the approval by the National Universities
Commission (NUC),
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the
newly licenced universities are: New City University, Aiyetoro, Ogun State,
Lens University, Ilemona, Kwara State, and Kevin Ezeh University, Mgbowo, Enugu
State.
Others are Southern Atlantic University, Uyo,
University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State, Minaret University, Ikirun, Osun
State and Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University, Ganmo Kwara State.
Also in the list are, Monarch University, Iyesi Ota,
Ogun State, Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin, Edo State, Isaac
Balami University of Aeronautic and Management, Lagos State, and Eranova
University, Kuje, FCT.
Alausa said the approval was in line with the Nigerian
Education Sector Renewal Initiative designed to restore the glory of Nigeria’s
educational system.
“This ceremony is not only a celebration of your
achievements, but also a renewed call to action in building a future-ready and
globally competitive Nigerian university system,” he said.
He highlighted the urgency of steering Nigeria’s
higher education toward priority fields such as STEMM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences.
“Nigeria has more than enough social science
graduates. What we need now are problem-solvers graduates with life skills who
can drive industries, build infrastructure, and improve lives.
“We must acknowledge an uncomfortable truth that,
while we now have 159 licensed private universities, too many are failing to
meet the quality standards Nigeria demands,” he said.
Alausa added that licensing must not be symbolic but
must be impactful.
To address this, he said NUC is undertaking a
comprehensive review of quality assurance mechanisms aimed at ensuring that all
licensed institutions, whether public or private, serve as genuine centres of
learning, innovation, and research.
He also encouraged private universities to collaborate
with one another and form international affiliations, noting Nigeria’s
potential as a hub for global education partnerships.
The minister further revealed that, following
presidential directives, several universities that had awaited approval for
over four years finally received licenses after a thorough evaluation process
completed within three years.
“Private universities must rise to the challenge of
delivering high-quality, relevant education that meets the demands of a modern
economy.
” With support from regulatory bodies and a renewed
commitment to excellence, the newly approved institutions are expected to play
a transformative role in shaping the nation’s next generation of leaders and
innovators,” he explained.
The NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu
highlighted the growing importance of private universities as complementary
partners to public institutions, particularly in catering to Nigeria’s youthful
population.
Ribadu said since the liberalisation of university
education in 1999, private universities had significantly expanded the nation’s
academic landscape.
” From just 49 universities in 1999, 23 of which were
private, Nigeria now boasts of 298 universities, with 159 (53.3 per cent) being
privately owned.
“The catalyst for this expansion is the increased
participation of the private sector,” he said.
He explained that the licenses awarded were
provisional, valid for three years, during which institutions must meet strict
quality benchmarks.
“The provisional status is subject to close monitoring
by the NUC, with full licenses to be granted only after a thorough evaluation
of each institution’s compliance with regulatory standards,” he said.
To ensure readiness for academic operations, the NU C
boss announced that a mandatory resource verification exercise would be
conducted for all academic programmes.
Speaking on behalf of the proprietors, Sen. Jimoh
Ibrahim, Proprietor, University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State, called on NUC
to remove barriers preventing Nigerian universities from collaborating more
actively with global institutions.
Ibrahim emphasised the urgency and significance of
fostering international academic partnerships to drive innovation, skills
development, and national growth.
Also, Tony Iredia, Proprietor, Tonnie Iredia
University of Communication, Benin, pleaded with the federal government to
ensure that moratorium period is not long.
Iredia also said that Nigerian universities might not
be doing well in research as a result of poor communication of research
works.
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