The Federal Government has approved the establishment of nine new private universities across the country, out of 79 active requests submitted by their promoters.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the decision on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The newly approved institutions include Tazkiyah University, Kaduna, Kaduna State; Leadership University, Abuja, FCT; Jimoh Babalola University, Ilorin, Kwara State; Bridget University, Mbaise, Okirika-Nweke, Imo State; and Greenland University, Jalingo, Taraba State. Others are JEFAP University, Suleja, Niger State; Azione Verde University, Amaigbo, Imo State; Unique Open University, Ojo, Lagos State; and American Open University, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In addition, the Federal Government has placed a seven-year moratorium on the creation of new federal tertiary institutions.
Alausa explained that the moratorium was necessary due to low patronage of some previously approved institutions.
“We are doing this to further halt decays in tertiary institutions which may in future affect the quality of education and consequently cause unemployment of graduates from some of these institutions,” he said.
The Education Minister stressed that the government’s focus remains on improving infrastructure, academic quality, and the employability of graduates from existing public institutions.
