Nigeria Approves Nine New Private Universities

Nigeria has approved the issuance of operating licenses to nine new private universities .

The new private universities are; Augustine University, Ilara, Lagos State; Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State; Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele, Ogun State; Kings University, Ode Omu, Osun State; Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Orode, Delta State; Mountain Top University, Ogun State, Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State and Summit University, Offa, Kwara State.

Nigeria has one of the oldest, biggest and most comprehensive university education system in Africa. Since 1948 when the first university was established till 1979, university education was on the exclusive list of the government, thereby leaving the establishment, funding and management in the hand of the federal government that has the exclusive right. However, in 1979, the constitution was amended and university education was now put on the concurrent list of the government, which means that both federal and state government can now establish and own its university. It was from this time that various states started signifying intention to establish their own state universities named after them. It later became evidently clearer to the federal government that, funding university education effectively may be difficult for the federal government alone.

As a result of this, in 1999, when a new democratically elected government (President Olusegun Obasanjo) was sworn in after a prolonged military rule of 16 years, the federal government immediately vested the power to receive and treat applications of establishment of private universities to the National University Commission (NUC) who will thereafter make recommendation for approval to the federal government- NUC is the highest regulatory body of universities in Nigeria. 

Out of forty (40) applications received in 1999, only 3 of them met the NUC requirement and were granted operating license. They could be referred to as the pioneer of private universities in Nigeria. They are: Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, Ogun State, and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State.

Presently, with this latest approval, the number of private universities in Nigeria totals 60.