FG approves nine new Private Universities

The Federal Government has approved the establishment of nine new private universities across the country.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The newly approved institutions are Tazkiyah University, Kaduna State; Leadership University, Abuja; Jimoh Babalola University, Kwara State; Bridget University, Mbaise, Imo State; Greenland University, Jigawa State; JEFAP University, Niger State; Azione Verde University, Imo State; Unique Open University, Lagos State; and American Open University, Ogun State.

Alausa revealed that the Tinubu administration met 551 pending applications for the establishment of tertiary institutions, which were reviewed under stricter approval guidelines. He explained that the number was reduced to 79 active applications, out of which nine received approval on Wednesday.

“Due to inefficiencies within the NUC, approvals were delayed. We have since introduced reforms to streamline these processes, and today’s approvals are a result of clearing this backlog,” the minister stated.

This development comes shortly after the minister announced a halt to the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.