The Federal Government has granted approval for the establishment of nine new private universities across Nigeria, marking a significant step in expanding access to higher education.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the decision on Wednesday while addressing journalists after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
The newly approved institutions are:
Tazkiyah University, Kaduna State
Leadership University, Abuja
Jimoh Babalola University, Kwara State
Bridget University, Mbaise, Imo State
Greenland University, Jigawa State
JEFAP University, Niger State
Azione Verde University, Imo State
Unique Open University, Lagos State
American Open University, Ogun State
Dr. Alausa revealed that the Tinubu administration inherited 551 pending applications for new tertiary institutions, which were reviewed under stricter approval guidelines. This process narrowed the list to 79 active requests, with nine meeting the criteria for immediate approval.
He noted that several of these universities had been awaiting accreditation for over six years, despite their promoters having invested billions of naira and completed campus infrastructure.
“Past inefficiencies within the NUC caused unnecessary delays. We have implemented reforms to streamline the process, and today’s approvals clear a significant backlog,” the minister said.
The Federal Government has also placed a temporary moratorium on fresh applications for new private universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, except for those meeting the revised operational standards.
