FG APPROVES TAKE-OFF OF 8 NEW PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
THE Federal Government yesterday gave its nod to the
take-off of eight new private universities in Nigeria.
This was sequel to a memo approved by the National
Universities Commission, NUC, and presented to the Federal Executive Council,
FEC, by the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, yesterday.
With this development, the number of universities in Nigeria
has increased from 143 to 151, while the number of private universities has
risen to 69 from 61.
The eight universities and their promoters include Anchor
University, Ayobo, Lagos, owned by Deeper Christian Life Ministry; Arthur
Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River, engineered by the Clitter House
Nigeria Limited; Clifford University, Owerrinta, Abia, owned by Seventh Day
Adventist Church; Coal City University, Enugu, operated by African Thinkers
Community of Inquiry College of Education, Enugu; Crown-Hill University,
Eiyenkorin, Kwara, floated by Modern Morgy and Sons Limited; Dominican
University, Ibadan, the brainchild of Order of Preachers, Nigerian Dominican
Community; Kola Daisi University, Ibadan came from Kola Daisi Foundation and
Legacy University, Okija, an idea of The Good Idea Education Foundation.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the
meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwuka, said the
reason for the approval was to give the teeming youths the opportunity to
acquire university education Anwuka, who was joined by his counterparts in
Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said: “The
Ministry of Education submitted a memo to Council this morning seeking approval
for eight private universities as recommended by NUC after very serious
comprehensive and exhaustive compliance to the conditions that warrant such
approval.
Anwuka said the new
universities would be supervised by the older universities within their zone
for a period of three years to assist them put necessary infrastructure in
place, adding that the supervision was in sync with the law. He said:
“While approving these universities for licensing
provisionally for three years, the Universities should be mentored by some
existing older Universities in Nigeria.
And those will include: Anchor University will be mentored
by University of Lagos, Akoka; Arthur Jarvis University will be mentored by University
of Calabar; Cliffored will be mentored by University of Agriculture, Umudike;
Coal City University will be mentored by University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“Crown-Hill University will be mentored by University of Ilorin.
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