The National Universities Commission, NUC, on Tuesday, presented provisional licences to four private universities: Greenfield University, Kaduna; Dominion University, Ibadan Oyo State; Trinity University, Ogun State; and Westland University in Iwo, Osun State.
This Followed an approval at the Federal Executive Council meeting in January.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, while presenting the licences at the NUC headquarters in Abuja, said the present numbers of universities in Nigeria is inadequate.
According to him, considering the increasing population of the country, it is becoming difficult to meet with the nation’s annual demand for access to university education,
“However, the commission is not ready to sacrifice access on the altar of quality and that is why we will keep on beaming our searchlight on the governance of your private universities to ensure adherence to best practices in support of quality university education delivery,” he said.
The minister, who was represented by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, Ishaq Oloyede, said substantive licences would only be issued to the universities if they are adjudged as being well-governed after three years of probation.
The minister urged the proprietors of the universities to ensure that admission of students is carried out through JAMB.
“It is also advised that upon commencement of academic activities, the proprietor should sustain funding towards improving the infrastructure, equipment for teaching, learning and research as well as human resources,” he said.
The executive secretary of NUC, Abubakar Rasheed, said the four universities had gone through stringent assessment leading to the final approval by the Federal Executive Council.
According to him, the four universities being presented licence today have been under scrutiny since 2002.
“In the case of Westland University, a period of 16 years, 2006 in the case of Dominion University, a period of 13 years. 2010, 8 years in the case of Trinity University. 2013, a period of five years in the case of Greenfield University,” he said.
He added: “For the avoidance of doubt, the provisional approval for the four universities to operate is intended to create room for effective mentoring and qualitative growth within the first three years of operation,” Mr Adamu said.
“During the probationary period, the four universities will be attached to older generation federal universities for academic and administrative mentoring to be moderated by NUC.”
