The National University Commission (NUC) has presented licences to the 37 new private universities approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC), had on May 15, 2023, approved the establishment of 37 new private universities in Nigeria, bringing the total number of universities approved for establishment under former President Muhammadu Buhari regime to 72 and the total numbers of private universities in the country to 147.
With these latest additions, the NUC has put the overall number of universities in Nigeria, both privately owned and publicly owned at 267.
The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Mr Abubakar Rasheed, noted that the Commission is taking the universities to task and has asked their owners to compete with global best practices.
He also said the government would ensure that quality assurance and minimum standards in those universities were not compromised.
Rasheed said:”In establishing universities, you don’t expect to get financial rewards. If your main motive is to make money, then you are in a wrong place. You are here to pay back to humanity.
“The establishment of private universities is in dire need of passion from people, so that passion should drive you.”