The Federal Government on Monday, approved 36 new private universities and an online university for operations in Nigeria.
The approval was announced by Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President, in a Federal Executive Council or FEC meeting at the Presidential Villa.
During the meeting, FEC also granted 40 other memoranda from various ministries, departments, and agencies.
Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, said that the newly approved universities have increased the number of private universities in Nigeria to 72.
Adamu who did not disclose the names of the schools, said the online university would be the first of its kind in the country and is owned by a woman from Bauchi State.
Adamu said that the expectation from the online school is for it to cater for some Muslim women who feel reluctant, or restrained from going through physical campus education.
On the funding challenges of some existing universities and the plans for the new ones, the minister said that the new universities are all private, with enough funds to run them. He stated that they should not be denied the opportunity to exist.
Nonetheless, he said that Nigeria needs more universities, as the ones available are not adequate to cater for the educational needs of all aspiring students.
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