In an effort to increase enrollment in high-quality four-year institutions, the federal government has granted operational licenses to eleven previously authorized private colleges.
During Wednesday’s presenting event in Abuja, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa said that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has to approve the granting of licenses.
The following universities have recently been granted licenses: New City University in Aiyetoro, Ogun State; Lens University in Ilemona, Kwara State; Kevin Ezeh University in Mgbowo, Enugu State; Southern Atlantic University in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; University of Fortune in Igbotako, Ondo State; Minaret University in Ikirun, Ogun State; Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University in Ganmo, Kwara State; Monarch University in Iyesi Ota, Ogun State; Tonnie Iredia University of Communication in Benin, Edo State; Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management in Lagos State; and Eranova University in Kuje, Federal Capital Territory.
According to Alausa, the green light is in line with the goals of the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative, which aim to bring back the educational system’s former grandeur in the country.
He emphasized that the event was both a celebration of their accomplishments and a fresh call to action to create a university system in Nigeria that is both future-ready and competitive on a global scale.
Higher education in Nigeria must immediately be redirected to prioritize STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences) subjects, he emphasized.
There is an abundance of social science graduates in Nigeria. Graduates equipped with practical skills who can propel industries, construct infrastructure, and enhance people’s lives are urgently required.
“We must face the unpleasant reality that, even though there are 159 private universities that have been licensed, a significant number of them are not meeting the quality standards that Nigeria requires,” he stated.
Additionally, Alausa emphasized that licensing should result in concrete educational benefits rather than being merely symbolic.
So that all accredited institutions—public and private alike—are able to fulfill their stated missions as hubs for education, discovery, and research, he disclosed that the NUC is conducting an extensive evaluation of quality assurance procedures.
Noting Nigeria’s potential as a hub for global educational alliances, he went on to encourage private colleges to work among themselves and develop foreign linkages.
According to the minister, a comprehensive review procedure was completed within three years, allowing numerous universities that had been waiting for clearance for more than four years to be eventually granted licenses, as per presidential directions.
To keep up with the needs of a modern economy, private colleges and universities must provide education that is both high-quality and relevant.
He went on to say that the recently authorized schools would “play a transformative role in shaping the nation’s next generation of leaders and innovators” with the help of regulatory agencies and a recommitment to quality.
The rising role of private universities as supplementary partners to public institutions, particularly in catering to Nigeria’s young population, was emphasized by Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, the NUC Executive Secretary.
According to Ribadu, the number of private universities in the country has grown substantially since university admissions were liberalized in 1999.
Nigeria today has 298 universities, up from 49 in 1999 (23 of which were private). Of these, 159 (or 53.3% of the total) are owned by private entities. He asserted that the private sector’s greater involvement was the driving force behind the expansion.
During the three years that the schools have the temporary licenses, he said, they are required to fulfill stringent quality standards.
He stated that the NUC will closely monitor the provisional status and will only give full licenses after thoroughly evaluating each institution’s compliance with regulatory criteria.
The head of NUC said that all academic programs would be subject to an obligatory resource verification exercise in order to guarantee preparation for academic activities.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who represents the University of Fortune proprietors in Ondo State, encouraged the NUC to remove obstacles that prevent Nigerian universities from collaborating more closely with international organizations.
Advancement of innovation, skill development, and national growth can only be achieved through the immediate establishment of international academic alliances, according to Ibrahim.
Also pleading with the federal government to avoid an excessively protracted moratorium period is Tony Iredia of Benin’s Tonnie Iredia University of Communication.
Inadequate communication and dissemination of research findings may be causing Nigerian universities to underperform in research, according to Iredia.