FG approves 20 new private varsities

• Kano, Kwara get three

The Federal Government on Wednesday approved the establishment of 20 private universities in the country.

The approval was granted at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This has brought the number of private universities in Nigeria to 99.

Minister of education, Adamu Adamu, who spoke with journalists after the meeting on the development, said the new universities would be given provisional licences from the National Universities Commission (NUC) for next three years, “while monitoring and evaluation will go on.”

Kwara and Kano have three each, according to a breakdown of the new private universities.

It also shows that nine of them are located in North-Central; three in South-South; two in South-East; five in North-West and one in South-West.

The approved universities are Topfaith University, Mkpatak, Akwa Ibom; Thomas Adewumi University, Oko-Irese, Kwara; Maranatha University, Mgbidi, Imo; Ave Maria University, Piyanko, Nasarawa, and Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila, Kano.

Others are Mudiame University, Irrua, Edo; Havilla University, Nde-Ikom, Cross River; Claretian University of Nigeria, Nekede, Imo; NOK University, Kachia, Kaduna, and Karl-Kumm University, Vom, Plateau.

This list also has James Hope University, Lagos; Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano; Capital City University, Kano; Ahman Pategi University, Kwara; University of Offa, Kwara; Mewar University, Masaka, Nasarawa; Edusoko University, Bida, Niger; Philomath University, Kuje, Abuja; Khadija University, Majia, Jigawa, and Anan University, Kwall, Plateau.