The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, approved the establishment of 12 private Universities in various states of the country.
Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, disclosed this while briefing State House Journalists, shortly after the meeting of the Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Mohammed said the Ministry of Education had presented a memo seeking provisional licenses for the establishment of 12 proposed private universities, on behalf of the National University Commission (NUC).
According to him, “It particularly attracted very lively contribution from members.
“What you need to know also apart from the various due process, is that each university that will get a provisional license will be mentored by older universities.”
The private universities are PEN Resource University, Gombe, Gombe State to be mentored by Modibbo Adamawa University of Technology, Yola; Al-Ansar University, Maiduguri, Borno State to be mentored by University of Maiduguri; Margaret Lawrence University, Calilee, Delta State to be mentored by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
Others include the Khalifa Isiyaku Rabiu University, Kano, Kano State to be mentored by Bayero University Kano, Kano State; Sports University, Idumuje, Ugboko, Delta State to be mentored by University of Benin, Edo State.
Similarly, the Baba Ahmed University, Kano, Kano State, which also got approval, is to be mentored by Bayero University Kano, Kano State; and SAISA University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Sokoto, Sokoto State to be mentored by Usmanu Danfodio Sokoto.
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Others are Nigerian British University, Asa, Abia State to be mentored by University of Port Harcourt; Peter University, Achina-Onneh, Anambra State to be mentored by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Newgate University, Minna, Niger State to be mentored by Federal University Minna, Niger State; European University of Nigerian, Duboyi, Abuja, FCT, to be mentored by University of Abuja, FCT; and
North West University, Sokoto, Sokoto State to be mentored by Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.
Mohammed said some of the Universities, such as the Sports University, Idumuje, Ugboko, Delta State, are specialists instructions
“It is clear we do not have enough universities. With both the private and public universities, we have about 201 while smaller countries with smaller population have more private universities.
Following a memo by the Ministry of Works and Housing, FEC approved the award of contract for rehabilitation of the 118.9 Kilometer Keffi-Nasarawa-Toto Road in Nasarawa State, in favor of Messrs. Wiss Shinu Engineering Limited, at the cost of N36.130 billion.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, also got FEC nod for the revised estimated total cost of contract for the extension of Outer Southern Expressway in the Southern part in favour of Msssrs Salimi Nigeria Limited.
The contract augmentation sought and approved was in the sum of N1,349,223,700.75, raising the total contract sum from N17,228,709,648.12 to N18,577,933,348.05 and assure that this will be completed in the next 12 months.
Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, also got FEC approval for the augmentation of contract for the construction of the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center in Abuja.
The Council had in November , 2020, approved the contract at the sum of N9,598,194,741 to Mssrs. Cosbrug Investment Limited to build the center.
He disclosed that the ministry is seeking for augmentation due to rising prices and the rising costs of critical materials.
“The center has gone very well. It’s about 45 per cent completed. The augmentation is approved and we hope to deliver in a good time,” he said.
