The Federal Government has given approval for the establishment of nine new private universities across the country. Briefing journalists after the a meeting of the Federal Executive Council, the Minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Chidoka, listed the newly approved varsities as: Augustine University Iloran, Lagos State; Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State; Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele, Ogun State; Kings University, Odeomu, Osun State; Micheal and Cecilia Ibru University, Orode in Delta State; Mountain Top University, Makogi Oba in Ogun State; Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, in Akwa Ibom State; and Summit University Offa in Kwara State.
The Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, while addressing concerns over the excessive tuition fees charged by private universities in the country, said it is not the responsibility of the federal government to regulate fees charged since private universities are run like other private organizations.
He said the Federal Government would only ensure that the standard of education in private schools is of minimum standards.
“As far as government is concerned, all Federal Government universities are tuition-free. Whatever the universities are charging are so minimal for some day-to-day activities: games fees, union fees and some other fees.
“Of recent, I had cause to ask the NUC to regulate a kind of minimum (fee) because there is a university that charged as low as N20,000, N15,000. Some charge N30,000 to 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. 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 Minister said.
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