FEC Approves 6 Private Universities

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved six new private universities.

The FEC meeting was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, as President Muhammadu Buhari is currently on a two-day visit to Kano state.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, revealed this while addressing state house correspondents after FEC meeting.

He said the names of the new universities are: Admiralty University, Ibusa, Delta State; Spiritan University, Nneochi, Abia; and Precious Cornerstone University, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Others include: Atiba University, Oyo State; Pamo University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Eko University of Medical and Health Sciences, Lagos.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has been given marching orders to delist any university that does not meet the standard.

Adamu said: “The Education Ministry presented a memo, for the approval of six new private universities and they were approved. There are some more applications and I believe we will still bring more for council’s approval.

“The NUC is going to take the issue of accreditation very seriously and if any university fails to meet the standard, we are going to de-register their courses and if enough courses are de-registered, it will lead to closure of the university.”

The minister also spoke on the strike embarked upon by non-teaching staff unions in the universities.

“As far as I know, we sat down with the unions, we met and these issues were thrashed out. I don’t know that there was problem which arose later because I travelled out of the country and came back on Tuesday. But, as far as I am concerned, these things had been addressed before I left and the formula that was used to share the money was agreed by them.  They sat down with the officials in the Ministry of Education and agreed. So, the money was not for ASUU alone, it was for all the unions.”

He added that “The shortfall in salary is being addressed.

“How many Nigerians are in detention and are trying to come home? So, once we establish that and we are given all those facts, we are now meeting with various agencies like NEMA and NAPTIP; to arrange evacuation and this will be done in co-ordination with

International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and see if we can very quickly repatriate all our Nigerian nationals who are there who want to return home,” Onyeama said.

The recent development brings the total number of private universities in the country to 75 from the previous 69.

Meanwhile, according to the NUC, Nigeria has 84 public universities, with 40 of them being federal universities and 44 others being state universities.