Federal Executive Council has approved six new private Universities bringing the number of private Universities in Nigeria to 74.
The Minister of Education Adamu Adamu announced the approval of six new private Universities to include the Admiralty Univerity, Ibusa, Delta state, Spiritan University, Nneochi, Abia, Precious Cornerstone University, Ibadan.
Other private Universities also approved by FEC include, the Pamo University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, Atiba University, Oyo State, Eko University of Medical and Health Sciences Lagos.
The Minister said the number of Universities will continue to increase to meet the increasing demands for higher education in Nigeria, adding that Brazil with about 120 million population has over 1200 Universities.
“There are some more applications and I believe we will still bring more for Council approvals”
The Minister assured that the National Universities Commission (NUC ) is going to take the issue of accreditation very seriously adding that ” If any university fails to meet their standard, we are going to deregister their courses and enough courses are deregistered, it will lead to the closure of the University”
Speaking on the memorandum of settlement signed with the non teaching staff unions of Universities especially on Earned Allowances, Salary shortfalls and reinstatement of sacked teachers in staff schools, Minister said all issues had been settled with the unions, adding that ” we met and these issues had been thrashed out, I don’t know if there was problem that arose later because I travelled out of the country and came back yesterday (Tuesday)”
” But as far as I am concerned, these things had been addressed before I left and the formula that was used to share the money was agreed by them. They sat down with the officials in the Ministry of Education and agreed. So the money was not for ASUU alone, it was for all the unions”
He declared that the shortfall in salary was already being addressed.
” On the teachers of staff schools, it will certainly take time. Government has accepted the Court verdict that says they should be reinstated and they will be reinstated. I think the only issue before I left was that they will be in salary relevant to the what they are doing, they are not university staff, so they will just be receiving normal salaries like the grade level they get”
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
