EDUCATION: NUC GRANTS PROVISIONAL LICENSES TO 37 NEW PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

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The National Institutions Commission (NUC) issued temporary licenses to the newly founded 37 institutions on Friday, after approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on May 15.

Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, Executive Secretary of the NUC, stated at the distribution of temporary licenses to the institutions that the country has 147 private universities.

Rasheed, who stated that the country now has 264 universities, stated that investment in tertiary education is a precondition for the country’s human capital development.

Access to university education, he noted, remained an issue due to strong demand and an increasing number of secondary school dropouts.

The NUC chief said: ”The Nigerian statistics of high demand of tertiary education is grossly inadequate. Statistics put the number of enrollment in tertiary institutions at 2.23 million which is about 12 per cent of the total population of 220 million.”

He however, charged proprietors of the newly established universities to ensure that the motive for creating the universities were not for money but for a higher and noble goal.

He said: ”In establishing universities, you don’t expect to get financial rewards. If your main motive is to make money, then you are in the wrong place. You are here to pay back to humanity.

“The establishment of private universities is in dire need of passion from people, so that passion should drive you.”

While lecturing the university owners on quality assurance, the NUC president assured them of the commission’s support and collaboration in expanding the university system.

The Federal Ministry of Education’s Permanent Secretary, David Adejo, stated that the federal government was committed to public-private partnerships, particularly in the education sector, which gave rise to the new universities.

Adejo stated that this was done to increase access to higher education.

He stated that the gross overall enrollment ratio was 12%, indicating a gap between demand and supply, and that as long as this gap continues, the government will continue to welcome credible group requests for university enrollment.

He stated that the government will ensure that quality assurance and minimum criteria are not jeopardized at those universities.

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), urged university administrators to get off to a solid start by adhering to protocols and standards.

Oloyede also advised them not to outsource their admissions and to stick to the admissions procedures.

Prof. Isa Pantami, former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, questioned the university’s sustainability.

Pantami said: “The 264 universities in Nigeria is encouraging but we need to improve on the quality of what we teach the students in our university.

“We should focus more on producing potential employers, not employees and producers, rather than potential job seekers.

“Education is no more about lecturers driving you, it so no more about garbage in and garbage out. Our students must tackle complex problems which will enable them to be self-reliant.”

Pantami called for a review of the entire curriculum of universities to focus on ICT.

The lists of the newly licensed private universities are: Rayhaan University, Kebbi state, Muhammad Kamalu-Deen University, Kwara state, Sam Maris University, Ondo state and Aletheia University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun state.

Others are Lux Mundi University, Abia state,Maduka University, Enugu state, Peaceland University, Enugu state, Amadeus University, Abia state, Vision University , Ogun state, Azman University, Kano state, Huda University, Zamfara state, Franco British International University, Kanuna and Canadian University of Nigeria, FCT.

On the list are Miva Open University, FCT, Gerar University of Medical Sciences, Ogun state, British Canadian University, Cross River state, Hensard University, Bayelsa State, Phoenix University, Nasarawa State Wigwe University, Rivers state and Hillside University of Science and Technology, Ekiti state.

Also, University of the Niger, Anambra state Elrazi University of Medical Sciences, Kano state, Venite University, Ekiti state,Shanahan University, Anambra state, the Duke Medical University, Cross River state, Mercy Medical University, Osun State, Cosmopolitan University, FCT, Iconic Open University, Sokoto State, West Midland Open University, Oyo State and Amaj University, FCT are in the list.

In the list are also Prime University, FCT, El-Amin University, Niger state, College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna state.