FG APPROVES 8 NEW PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

ABUJA —THE Federal Government yesterday
gave its nod to the take-off of eight new private
universities in Nigeria.
This was sequel to a memo approved by the
National Universities Commission, NUC, and
presented to the Federal Executive Council, FEC,
by the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja,
yesterday.
With this development, the number of
universities in Nigeria has increased from 143 to
151, while the number of private universities has
risen to 69 from 61.
The eight universities and their promoters
include Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos, owned
by Deeper Christian Life Ministry; Arthur Jarvis
University, Akpabuyo, Cross River, engineered
by the Clitter House Nigeria Limited; Clifford
University, Owerrinta, Abia, owned by Seventh
Day Adventist Church; Coal City University,
Enugu, operated by African Thinkers Community
of Inquiry College of Education, Enugu; Crown-
Hill University, Eiyenkorin, Kwara, floated by
Modern Morgy and Sons Limited; Dominican
University, Ibadan, the brainchild of Order of
Preachers, Nigerian Dominican Community; Kola
Daisi University, Ibadan came from Kola Daisi
Foundation and Legacy University, Okija, an idea
of The Good Idea Education Foundation.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end
of the meeting presided over by President
Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja, the Minister of State for Education,
Professor Anthony Anwuka, said the reason for
the approval was to give the teeming youths the
opportunity to acquire university education
Anwuka, who was joined by his counterparts in
Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and Information, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, said: “The Ministry of Education
submitted a memo to Council this morning
seeking approval for eight private universities as
recommended by NUC after very serious
comprehensive and exhaustive compliance to
the conditions that warrant such approval.
Anwuka said the new universities would be
supervised by the older universities within their
zone for a period of three years to assist them
put necessary infrastructure in place, adding that
the supervision was in sync with the law.
He said: “While approving these universities for
licensing provisionally for three years, the
Universities should be mentored by some
existing older Universities in Nigeria. And those
will include: Anchor University will be mentored
by University of Lagos, Akoka; Arthur Jarvis
University will be mentored by University of
Calabar; Cliffored will be mentored by University
of Agriculture, Umudike; Coal City University will
be mentored by University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“Crown-Hill University will be mentored by
University of Ilorin. Dominican University will be
mentored by University of Ibadan. Kola Daisi
University will mentored by University of Ibadan.
Legacy University will be mentored by Nnamdi
Azikiwe University, Awka.”