Online university among 37 new institutions licensed in Nigeria

The Federal Executive Council has approved the licensing of 37 new universities in Nigeria, including an online university, Edugist has found.

In response to concerns over the proliferation of universities in Nigeria, the Federal Executive Council, under the leadership of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, granted approval for the licensing of 37 new universities across the country. The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, disclosed this information following an extraordinary Council meeting held on Monday.

This recent development brings the total number of universities licensed by the Buhari administration since 2015 to 72, signaling a significant commitment to expanding access to higher education.

Although the Minister did not disclose the specific names of the newly approved universities, he did highlight that one of them is a groundbreaking online university—the first of its kind in Nigeria. Moreover, this online university is privately owned by a woman hailing from Bauchi State. Its establishment is anticipated to address the educational needs of northern Muslim women who may face obstacles or reservations about pursuing traditional on-campus education.

In response to inquiries regarding the necessity of establishing additional universities in light of existing funding challenges, Adamu explained that all of the newly licensed institutions are privately funded. Therefore, they possess sufficient financial resources to sustain their operations effectively. Consequently, the Minister emphasised the importance of granting these universities the opportunity to exist, arguing that they should not be denied based solely on financial concerns.

The Minister pointed out that Nigeria is in great need of more universities, as the current ones are inadequate to accommodate the growing demand for higher education. With countless individuals yearning to pursue further studies, the establishment of these additional universities will provide a crucial avenue to address the educational aspirations of a significant number of aspiring students.