Janet Samuel, Abuja
Federal government has approved the establishment of two more private universities in Nigeria, bringing the total number to 149.
The newly approved universities are Lighthouse University, Evbuobanosa, Edo state, and the African School of Economics, FCT.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during the Presentation of the provisional Licences on Thursday by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja, said the two universities were approved at the Federal Executive Council on December 13, 2023
Prof. Manmman who noted that the country’s population is forecasted to increase up to 400 million by 2050, said it should evoke a sense of urgency in preparation to cater for the needs of the anticipated population.
He said a substantive licence would be issued to the universities if they meet the requirements of quality assurance three years after probation.
Prof. Mamman enjoined the proprietors of the universities to capture skills and entrepreneurship which are the current thinking of the government.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki, noted that while the commission encouraged the innovative posture of some of the private universities, the ministry through the commission embarked on radical reengineering of curricula to meet best global standards.
He urged the proprietors to acquaint themselves with the code of governance for private universities which aims to enhance the successful running and sustainablity of institutions
Mayaki, while re-emphasising that the venture of establishing private universities is not for profit making, maintained that , it is a social service and a journey of passion.
With the new approval, Nigeria now has a total of 274 universities, making up 149 private, 63 State and 62 federal universities.
