In a significant move to expand Nigeria’s higher education sector, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, officially presented provisional licences to 11 newly approved private universities on Wednesday in Abuja.
The universities span several states, including Ogun, Ondo, FCT, Osun, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Lagos, and Enugu.
The newly licensed institutions are City University, Ayetoro (Ogun); University of Fortune, Igbotako (Ondo); Eranova University, Mabushi (FCT); Minaret University, Ikirun (Osun Annex); Abubakar Toyin University, Oke-Agba (Kwara); Southern Atlantic University, Uyo (Akwa Ibom); Lens University, Ilemona (Kwara); Monarch University, Iyesi-Ota (Ogun); Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City (Edo); Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, Lagos; and Kevin Eze University, Mgbowo (Enugu).
During the presentation, Dr. Alausa emphasized the role of universities as centers for education, talent development, and innovation. He stressed the importance of competent staff and modern facilities, urging the new universities to prioritize research and extend their influence beyond local boundaries to achieve global relevance.
“We are therefore charging all private universities, especially the new entrants here today, to align with our national priorities of expansive STEM education,” Alausa said. He highlighted the urgent need for graduates in nursing, pharmacy, engineering, and other technical fields, noting, “We are more than enough social science graduates, with due respect, but we have to be realistic here.”
The Minister also called for collaboration among universities to pool resources, share best practices, and form strategic alliances both locally and internationally. “I challenge private universities to be bold, visionary, and proactive in transforming Nigeria’s higher education,” he added.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described the event as a milestone in improving access to tertiary education and urged the new universities to uphold academic integrity.
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, congratulated the promoters of the new universities, noting that private institutions complement public ones in expanding educational access. He explained that the provisional licence is valid for three years, after which a substantive licence may be granted. Each new university has also been paired with an established institution for mentorship.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, advised the institutions to maintain integrity and avoid imposing religious beliefs on candidates.
This licensing follows a rigorous 13-step assessment by the NUC and comes amid a temporary moratorium on new private university applications, allowing only those at advanced approval stages to proceed.
