The Federal Government has granted 20 new private universities provisional licenses to operate in Nigeria.
This brings the number of private universities in Nigeria to 99.
This approval was given at the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.
Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, revealed this to newsmen after the meeting. He said the approved universities would get their provisional licenses from the National Universities Commission (NUC); and will operate with the licenses “for the next three years while monitoring and evaluation will go on.”
Of the 20 new private universities, nine are located in the North Central, three in the South South, two in the South East, five in the North West and one in the South West.
The newly approved universities are; Topfaith University, Mkpatak, Akwa Ibom State; Thomas Adewumi University, Oko-Irese, Kwara State; Maranathan University, Mgbidi, Imo State; Ave Maria University, Piyanko, Nasarawa State; Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila, Kano State, Mudiame University, Irrua, Edo State; Havilla University, Nde-Ikom, Cross River State; Claretian University of Nigeria, Nekede, Imo State; NOK University, Kachia, Kaduna State; Karl-Kumm University, Vom, Plateau State; James Hope University, Lagos State; Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano, Kano State; Capital City University, Kano, Kano State; Ahman Pategi University, Pategi, Kwara State; University of Offa, Offa, Kwara State; Mewar University, Masaka, Nasarawa State; Edusoko University, Bida, Niger State; Philomath University, Kuje, Abuja; Khadija University, Majia, Jigawa State; and Anan University, Kwall, Plateau State.