Tinubu Grants Provisional Approval to 11 New Private Universities

President Bola Tinubu has given the green light for the establishment of 11 new private universities across Nigeria, raising the country's total number of private tertiary institutions to 159. The approvals were announced by Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, who disclosed that the president signed off on the licences during a session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) held on Monday. According to Dare, the move reflects the administration's broader push to widen access to higher education. He quoted the president as saying he "is committed to expanding the frontiers of educational opportunities and infrastructure." The newly licensed institutions span several states, with Ogun and Kwara States each hosting two of the new universities. The full list includes: 1. New City University – Ayetoro, Ogun State 2. University of Fortune – Igbotako, Ondo State 3. Eranova University – Mabushi 4. Minaret University – Ikirun, Osun State (Annex) 5. Abubakar Toyin University – Oke-Agba, Kwara State 6. Southern Atlantic University – Uyo, Akwa Ibom State 7. Lens University – Ilemona, Kwara State 8. Monarch University – Iyesi-Ota, Ogun State 9. Tonnie Iredia University of Communication – Benin City 10. Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management – Lagos 11. Kevin Eze University – Mgbowo, Enugu State The new institutions cover a range of specialisations, from communication and aviation-related studies to general university education, suggesting an effort to diversify the private higher education landscape beyond conventional degree offerings. Before this latest batch of approvals, Nigeria was home to 148 licensed private universities, a number that has grown steadily in recent years as the government seeks to ease pressure on public universities and absorb rising demand for tertiary education places. The provisional licences typically require the institutions to meet specific regulatory benchmarks — including infrastructure, staffing, and curriculum standards set by the National Universities Commission (NUC) — before they can begin full academic operations and enrol students. **Source: Presidential statement via Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication (summarized and rewritten).