President Bola Tinubu has approved provisional licenses for 11 new private universities in Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media & Public Communication, Sunday Dare, Tinubu on his official X page
Dare stated that the institutions were granted the approvals during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on March 3, 2025.
“At today’s FEC meeting, the following private universities were approved: New City University, Ayetoro Ogun State; University of Fortune, igbotako, Ondo State and Eranova University, Mabushi,” Dare announced.
Other approved private universities are:
The approval is part of President Tinubu’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities and infrastructure across Nigeria.
This development follows the federal government’s recent announcement of a one-year moratorium on the establishment of new private universities in Nigeria to enhance the quality and sustainability of private universities across the country.
The Honorable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa disclosed that the one-year moratorium, which could be extended if necessary, is expected to provide the government with sufficient time to implement critical reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s higher education system.
Dr. Alausa explained that while Nigeria has 129 federal and state universities and 149 private universities, private institutions, despite making up over 50% of the total universities, account for less than 10% of overall university admissions.
This imbalance, he noted, necessitates stricter regulation to ensure private universities maintain high academic standards and contribute meaningfully to national development.
The National Universities Commission released a comprehensive fourteen-step procedure for establishing private universities in Nigeria to ensure that new institutions meet the necessary academic and infrastructural standards before receiving operational approval.
The approval process involves three levels: NUC Management, the NUC Board, and the Federal Executive Council (FEC).