The Federal Government has approved provisional licenses for eight private universities in the country.
The universities which were licensed provisionally for three years will be mentored by already existing federal universities to ensure that the standards are raised to the needed level, minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said while briefing newsmen after the now weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
The universities include: Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos sponsored by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry: Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River sponsored by the Clitter House Nigeria Limited: Clifford University, Owerrinta, Abia sponsored by the Seventh Day Adventist Church: Coal City University, Enugu sponsored by the African Thinkers Community of Inquiry College of Education, Enugu: Crown-Hill University, Eiyenkorin, Kwara sponsored by the Modern Morgy and Sons Limited: Dominican University, Ibadan sponsored by the Order of Preachers, Nigerian Dominican Community: Kola Daisi University, Ibadan sponsored by the Kola Daisi Foundation and the Legacy University, Okija sponsored by the Good Idea Education Foundation.
The approval brings the total number of universities in Nigeria to 151. The country initially had 143 universities out of which 61 are privately owned. This takes up the number of private universities to 69.
Nigeria is still lagging behind when compared to the United Kingdom which has a population about 64 million and has 229 universities. Canada with a population of 35 million and has 311 universities. Countries like Mexico boasts of 1,250 universities while Brazil has 1,648 and Bangladesh 1,258 universities respectively.
Minister of State for Education, Anthony Onwuka, who briefed alongside the Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed explained that the approval came following a memo submitted to the FEC seeking approvals for eight private universities after recommendation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Onwuka further explained that the approvals were given to ensure that the teeming population of Nigerian students seeking for admission into Universities had the opportunity.
Citing the Education Act Cap E3, Law of Federal Republic of Education 2004, he explained that mentoring was a requirement of the law and would be implemented to the letter.
According to him “On the issue of mentoring, the law is very specific on exactly what is required. The first is that each of the mentoring universities would among other issues ensure that the correct appointment of the governing council is made; that they recruit appropriate principal officers both academic and administrative; that there would be availability of human and material resources for the commencement of any academic performance. They also have the responsibility to ensure implementation of carrying capacity.
They must also assist in staff development. They must also modulate students’ examination; must guarantee quality assurances of the university. They also have responsibility to moderate admission and also moderate external examination even the older universities were also mentored by universities abroad.
“But we believe that by today, we have reached the situation whereby our own universities are capable of mentoring.”
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