FG approves nine new private varsities

The Federal Government on
Wednesday approved the
establishment on nine new private
universities in the country.
The decision was taken at a
meeting of the Federal Executive
Council presided over by Vice
President Namadi Sambo.
President Goodluck Jonathan
traveled to Sokoto where he
attended the 90th birthday of
former President Shehu Shagari.
The Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita
Chidoka; the Minister of State,
Finance, Ambassador Bashir
Yuguda; the Minister of Water
Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe; and
the Minister of Education, Mallam
Ibrahim Shekarau, briefed State
House correspondents at the end of
the meeting.
Chidoka listed the new universities
as Augustine University, Ilara, Lagos
State; Chrisland University, Owode,
Ogun State; Christopher University,
Mowe, Ogun State; Hallmark
University, Ijebu Itele, Ogun State;
Kings University, Ode Omu, Osun
State; Michael and Cecilia Ibru
University, Orode, Delta State;
Mountain Top University, Ogun
State, Ritman University, Ikot
Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State and
Summit University, Ofa, Kwara
State.
When asked what the Federal
Government was doing to stop
some private universities from
charging exorbitant fees, Shekarau
said the government was helpless.
He said like private hospitals or
nursery schools, owners of private
universities were free to charge
fees that would give returns on
their investments.
The minister said the only concern
of the government was to ensure
that the schools were of standard in
terms of facilities and staffing
among others.
He said the saving grace was that
all Federal Government-owned
universities were tuition-free.
He said, “As far as the government
is concerned, all Federal
Government universities are
tuition-free. Whatever the
universities are charging is so
minimal for some day-to-day
activities: sports fees, union fees
and some other fees.
“Of recent, I had cause to ask the
National Universities Commission
to regulate tuition in public
universities because there is a
university that is charging as low as
N20,000, N15,000. Some charge
between N30,000 and N80,000 or so
which is a composition of a number
of different kinds of fees. But
basically, no university owned by
government is charging tuition fee.
“But the private universities are
like any other private institutions:
private primary schools, private
secondary schools. All that is the
responsibility of government is to
ensure that the standards are
maintained.
“We are to ensure that they are
operating within the minimum
required standard, and that is the
responsibility of the NUC in terms of
their facilities, staffing and so on.
“The accreditation of any
universities or courses has nothing
to do with the fees they charge just
like the private hospitals.
“Government really does not have
anything to do as far as what the
private institutions are charging.
Tuition is free in public schools.”