The Nigerian government has approved the establishment of additional 12 new universities in the country, the government said on Wednesday.
This was announced by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the end of the Federal Executive Council in Abuja, who spoke to State House Correspondents. The virtual meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Mohammed listed the states where the new varsities would be sited as Abia, Anambra, Delta, Kano, Niger, Gombe, Sokoto, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
The development is coming as all public universities in Nigeria have been on strike for over three months, following disagreements between the Federal government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Mohammed stated that the approval given to the new institutions followed a memorandum presented by the Ministry of Education on behalf of the National University Commission (NUC).
“Council approved the memo for the issuance of provisional licences for the establishment of 12 proposed private universities.
“The proposed private universities are Pen Resource University Gombe, Gombe State; Al-Ansar Univeristy, Maiduguri, Borno State; Margaret Lawrence University, Delta State; Khalifa Ishaku Rabiu University Kano, Kano State; Sports University Idumuje Ugboko, Delta State; Bala Ahmed University Kano, Saisa University of Mediacla Sciences and Technology, Sokoto State, Nigerian-British University Hasa, Abia State and Peter University Acina-Onene, Anambra State as well as Newgate University, Minna, Niger State, European University of Nigeria in Duboyi, Abuja and the North-West University Sokoto”, he said.
Following a tradition that has been established in Nigeria now, the Minister said that each of the new universities will be mentored by the old ones close to them.
“The mentors will be expected to oversee the following activities of the new universities which include: Recruitment of principal officers, academic, and administrative staff, availability of human and material resources for the commencement of any academic program, implementation of Carrying capacity, assistance in staff development, moderation of students examination and the results, general quality assurance activities, moderation of admission and external examination moderation,” Mohammed said.
When reminded of the current strike by the university teacher, Mohammed said: “Can we say because ASUU is on strike, therefore we will not have new universities when we know that today 65 percent of eligible students in the universities are just roaming the streets when we know that today, there are about 5,000 Nigerian students in Ukraine alone?
“And I think the total number of Nigerian students outside there is about 165, 000. We have a population of about 200 million people and we have just about 200 universities while countries like Indonesia have about 1,200 universities. We cannot fold our hands because ASUU is on strike so will not expand our educational facilities.
“You asked me, was the issue of ASUU discussed in council, we have Ministers and departments who are full time every day dealing with the issues of ASUU and labor unrest. It is not every matter that you discuss in Council, no.
“But I can tell you no government will just sleep and pretend that ASUU is not on strike, but there is engagement is going on,” he said.
