March 03, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has approved provisional licences for 11 private universities in Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this after the Federal Executive Council meeting, which President Bola Tinubu chaired, was held on Monday at the State House in Abuja.
Alausa listed the newly licenced Universities to include New City University, Ayetoro Ogun State, University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State, Eranova University, Mabushi and Minaret University, Ikirun, Osun Annex.
Also approved are Abubakar Toyin University, Oke-Agba, Kwara State, Southern Atlantic University Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Lens University, Ilemona, Kwara State, Monarch University, Iyesi-Ota, Ogun State.
Others are Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City; Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, Lagos; and Kevin Eze University, Mgbowo, Enugu State
According to the Minister, the newly licenced universities have fulfilled the assessment of thirteen steps of the National Universities Commission before being awarded the provisional licences.
Dr Alausa further clarified that a moratorium has been placed on all new universities while assuring that those approved on Monday have gone through the final stages of licences.
“So these 11 universities have fulfilled the rigorous assessment of the 13 steps of the National Universities Commission process to be awarded to start with provisional licences to start operation.
“And I want to clarify this that the fact that we approved these 11 universities, also we issued a moratorium for all these universities it means the ones that we approved today are the ones that have gone through the almost the finalisation stage but there is a moratorium now on issuance of licences for new private universities
“What we decided is that the ones that have gone through upto step 4 that have gone through upto to second visit we will review them and if they meet all the requirement we go ahead and approve them”, he said, adding that more applications for provisional licenses to begin private universities will still be presented to the council for approval
The Minister restated that a moratorium has been placed on new universities and that the FEC will continue to grant approvals to qualified institutions.
“The ones that have gone through the advanced stage of their processes, they have invested money. We are mindful of the investment, and we will continue to process as they meet all the rigorous requirements of the National Universities Commission”, he added.
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