The Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has announced a one-year moratorium on the establishment of new private universities in Nigeria.
Alausa said the decision was part of efforts to enhance the quality and sustainability of private universities, while ensuring that only institutions with the necessary financial and academic capacity are granted licenses.
Nigeria currently has 129 federal and state universities, as well as 149 private varsities.
Despite private institutions comprising over 50 percent of the total number of universities, they account for less than 10 percent of overall university admissions.
Alausa emphasized that this statistics underscores the urgent need to regulate the growth of private institutions to ensure they meet the standards required for quality education.
In a statement signed by the Ministry’s Director, Press & Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the minister stressed the importance of private universities
building adequate capacity and making significant contributions to the education sector as ways of addressing these challenges.
He further noted that new regulations would be introduced to ensure that only well-equipped institutions capable of offering programs aligned with national development priorities are granted operational licenses.
The minister also directed the National Universities Commission to review all pending applications for new private universities to assess their viability.
“This review will ensure that only institutions capable of meeting the demands of 21st-century education are approved.
“Additionally, the guidelines for establishing private universities are being updated to improve their overall quality and sustainability.
“The one-year moratorium, which may be extended if necessary, will provide sufficient time for these critical reforms to be fully implemented, ensuring that Nigeria’s higher education system remains robust and sustainable,” the statement said.
Nigerian Govt announces one year moratorium on new private universities
