The Nigerian Federal Government has approved provisional licences for 11 new private universities, a move announced by Education Minister Dr. Maruf Alausa during a presentation ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday.
The newly licensed universities are distributed across Ogun, Ondo, FCT, Osun, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Lagos, and Enugu states, including City University, University of Fortune, Eranova University, Minaret University, Abubakar Toyin University, Southern Atlantic University, Lens University, Monarch University, Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, and Kevin Eze University.
Dr. Alausa emphasized that universities must be centers of education, talent development, and innovation, equipped with competent staff and modern facilities. He urged these institutions to lead in academic excellence and align their programmes with national priorities in STEM and technical education to meet the urgent demand for skilled professionals in healthcare, engineering, and other vital sectors.
“We are more than enough social science graduates, with due respect, but we have to be realistic here,” he remarked, stressing the need for graduates who can solve practical problems and drive industrial growth.
The Minister also called for strategic alliances among private universities and partnerships with reputable foreign institutions to enhance academic credibility and programme diversity.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described the event as a milestone for expanding tertiary education access and encouraged the universities to maintain high academic standards.
Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, Executive Secretary of the NUC, congratulated the promoters and noted that the provisional licence is valid for three years, with mentorship arrangements in place from established universities.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, urged the new universities to uphold integrity and avoid imposing religious beliefs on students.
This approval comes amid a moratorium on new private university applications, allowing only those that have reached advanced stages of assessment to be licensed.
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