The National Universities Commission (NUC) has announced that it is in the final stages of announcing the establishment of two additional universities in Nigeria.
If announced, this will bring the total number of higher institutions in the country to 272, Naija News understands.
The acting Executive Secretary of the commission, Chris Maiyaki, who disclosed the latest development during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, emphasized that the NUC will continue to approve new universities to address the admissions gap in the country.
He highlighted that while approximately two million candidates apply for university admission yearly, the available admission slots range between 500,000 and 700,000.
Maiyaki’s position contrasts the concerns raised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other stakeholders in the tertiary education sector, who oppose the government’s proliferation of institutions due to inadequate funding for existing universities.
These stakeholders have repeatedly called on the government and the NUC to cease granting approvals for new public universities.
“We have no choice but to, as a matter of deliberate policy, undertake the massification of universities,” Maiyaki said.
Maiyaki stated that each year, nearly two million individuals apply for university admission, yet only a range of 500,000 to 700,000 students are granted admission.
He added: “You need to see the anguish and the frustration on the faces of families who are desperate to make sure that their children attend university education every admission session. It is very tough and challenging for university leaders and NUC so we have no choice but to continue to approve the universities.
“The approval for two more varsities to bring the number of universities in the country to 272 has been concluded and will be announced next week.”
Maiyaki asserted that Nigeria will continue to expand access to universities by approving the establishment of more universities to meet the demand for quality education.
He pointed out that countries like Brazil and Indonesia, which have smaller populations than Nigeria, have more than 1,000 universities. He mentioned that efforts are underway to revitalize the university system through transnational education, allowing foreign universities to operate in the country.
The Executive Secretary mentioned that the commission is currently reviewing applications for the establishment of distance learning centres, which will be closely monitored to ensure the provision of high-quality education.
However, the head of the NUC emphasized that this does not imply a return to the era of establishing distance learning centres.
In response to the invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)for proprietors of private universities and other higher learning institutions in Nigeria to charge fees in dollars, he firmly stated that no tertiary institution is permitted to collect tuition fees in dollars.
He further emphasized that the commission had thoroughly examined the accusation and conducted a comprehensive investigation, only to find that the alleged private university was not charging fees in dollars.
“On the dollarisation of tuition fees in this said university, we have investigated it, and the university is not charging fees in dollars.
They only charge dollars to foreign students. So I want the media to join hands with us to tell the public that no Nigeria university is allowed to charge fees in dollars,” he said.
