The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted provisional licenses to 11 new private universities. The presentation took place on Wednesday, April 30, at the NUC auditorium in Abuja.
During the event, NUC Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Ribadu, spoke about the growing demand for private universities to meet the educational needs of Nigeria’s expanding youth population. He noted that private universities have been instrumental in expanding the nation’s academic landscape since 1999.
“From 49 universities in 1999, including 23 private institutions, Nigeria now boasts 298 universities. Of these, 159 (53.3 percent) are privately owned. The private sector has been a key driver of this growth,” Ribadu said.
He added that the provisional licenses are subject to permanent approval after a thorough evaluation of each institution’s compliance with NUC regulatory standards. “These institutions will be closely monitored, and full licenses will be granted only after meeting all necessary criteria,” he stated.
The new institutions primarily impact the South-West, South-East, and South-South regions, which already have the highest number of private universities in the country. The 11 newly approved private universities include:
– South-West: New City University (Ayetoro, Ogun State), University of Fortune (Igbotako, Ondo State), Monarch University (Iyesi-Ota, Ogun State)
– South-South: Southern Atlantic University (Uyo, Akwa Ibom State)
– South-East: Kevin Eze University (Mgbowo, Enugu State)
– North-Central: Abubakar Toyin University (Oke-Agba, Kwara State), Lens University (Ilemona, Kwara State)
– Federal Capital Territory: Eranova University (Mabushi, FCT)
– Others: Minaret University (Ikirun, Osun State), Tonnie Iredia University of Communication (Benin City, Edo State), Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management (Lagos)
In March, the Federal Executive Council announced the provisional licenses for these universities, bringing the total number of private universities in Nigeria to 160. The announcement was made by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, following the FEC meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
With the issuance of these new licenses, the North-Central now has 36 private universities, including the three newly approved institutions. However, the North-East and North-West regions did not receive any new universities, so their totals remain at 19 and 5, respectively.
The South-West now has 52 private universities, up from 47, while the South-South has 25, following the addition of two new institutions. The South-East now hosts 23 private universities, up from 22.
These developments highlight the ongoing regional differences in the distribution of private universities across the country, with the southern regions—particularly the South-West—receiving more new institutions.
After the FEC meeting, Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa explained that the new universities had completed the NUC’s rigorous 13-step accreditation process before receiving provisional licenses. He also revealed that a moratorium has been placed on the approval of additional private universities, although pending applications will still be reviewed.
Meanwhile, legal luminary Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has cautioned the Federal Government against approving what he described as “mushroom” universities. He called for a focus on quality rather than quantity in the approval of new institutions.
