No fewer than nine new private universities today, March 5, 2015, got licenses from the Nigerian Federal Government to start educational business.
According to Vanguard newspaper report published online, the Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau gave the new universities their licences in Abuja on Thursday and warned the newly licenced universities against unwholesome practices.
The minister also stated that any university that is found wanting would be sanctioned.
The names of the universities that got licenses in Abuja included, Augustine University, Ilara, Lagos; Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State; Hallmark University, Ijebu-Itele, Ogun State; Kings University, Ode-Omu, Osun State; Micheal and Cecilia Ibru University, Owhrode, Delta State; Mountain Top Unversity, Makogi/Oba Ogun state; Ritman University, Ikot-Epene, Akwa- Ibom State and Summit University, Offa, Kwara State.
Shekarau added that, “While government appreciates the courage of the proprietors to partner with it on a project of this nature, which is not expected to be for profit, it will not tolerate any breach of the conditions of the approval. Any unwholesome practice or operation outside the provisions of National Universities Commissions, NUC guidelines are unacceptable and will attract appropriate sanctions.
“Proper care should also be taken to maintain the hostels, cafeteria, toilets and other facilities in the universities in such conditions that students are able to cultivate decent behaviours and manners, in addition to academic excellence”.
“It is also imperative to emphasis that the provisional approval for these universities to operate is intended to create room for effective mentoring and qualitative growth within the first five years of operation. During this period, the new universities will be affiliated to older generation universities, for academic and administrative mentoring to be moderated by NUC.
“This part of NUC’s initiative for early warning signals to detect compromises in quality for the application of corrective and remedial measures to redress such situations.
“However, substantive licences can only be issued to well managed institutions after three years of probation following their respective performance and growth, within guidelines stipulated by the commission,” the Minister said.
On the condemnation in some quarters that private universities are too many in the country, he said “Inadequate access to university education and enrolment of students in excess of the carrying capacity of the universities has consequently remained an albatross in education of the tertiary level.
It was gathered that with the new approvals, the number of universities in Nigeria has increased from 129 to 138.
Before now Nigeria had 40 Federal, 39 State and 50 private universities.
The Federal Executive Council, FEC, had on Wednesday, February 25, 2015, gave approval for the nine new universities in the country.
Meanwhile, it would be recalled that the first global rankings of universities in the new year were published earlier this month with some very curious results for Nigerian universities.
According to Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, the Covenant University, Ota, made an impressive step forward, stormed the TOP 15 of African Universities and became #1 in Nigeria.
