The Nigerian government has presented operational licenses to 11 newly approved private universities to expand access to quality tertiary education.
At the presentation of the licences to the new private universities in Abuja on Wednesday, Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said it was sequel to the approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The licences are provisional, valid for three years, during which institutions must meet strict quality benchmarks.
The newly licensed universities are:
- New City University, Aiyetoro, Ogun State
- Lens University, Ilemona, Kwara State
- Kevin Ezeh University, Mgbowo, Enugu State
- Southern Atlantic University, Uyo
- University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State
- Minaret University, Ikirun, Osun State
- Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University, Ganmo, Kwara State.
- Monarch University, Iyesi Ota, Ogun State
- Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin, Edo State
- Isaac Balami University of Aeronautic and Management, Lagos State
- 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.
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.
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.
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, Senator 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.
NAN
