By Sunday Elijah
Nigerian Government has approved issuance of provisional licences for the establishment of 12 private universities across the country.
“Council approved the memo for the issuance of provisional licences for the establishment of 12 proposed private universities,” Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced on Wednesday to Journalists in Abuja, shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the universities would be located in Kano, Niger, Gombe, Sokoto, Delta, Abia, Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“The proposed private universities are Pen Resource University Gombe, Gombe State, Al-Ansar University, Maiduguri, Borno State, Margaret Lawrence I -University, Delta State and Khalifa Ishaku Rabiu University Kano, Kano State.
“Sports University Idumuje Ugboko, Delta State, Bala Ahmed University Kano, Saisa University of Medical 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. ”
According to him, Minister of State, Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, presented the memo on behalf of the National Universities Commission and it was approved by the cabinet.
He said, each of the new universities will be mentored by an old university near where they are sited.
Mr. Mohammed said establishment of additional universities for an over 200 million-populated country was necessary if the policy of educating a larger percentage of youngsters was to succeed.