FEC approves 12 new varsities amid ASUU strike

The Federal Government has approved the establishment of 12 new universities amid the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Although the newly licensed universities were private institutions, the government has also approved the establishment of new public universities recently despite the crisis plaguing the existing ones.

One of the ASUU’s demands yet to be met by the government since 2009 is revitalization of the universities.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who briefed the Federal Executive Council during a meeting on Monday in Abuja on behalf of the Ministry of Education, said the 12 proposed universities would be mentored by already existing ones in their various locations.

The proposed private universities are PEN Resource University, Gombe, Gombe State, to be mentored by Modibbo Adamawa University of Technology, Yola; Al-Ansar University, Maiduguri, Borno State, to be mentored by the University of Maiduguri; Margaret Lawrence University, Calilee, Delta State, to be mentored by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State; Khalifa Isiyaku Rabiu University, Kano, Kano State, to be mentored by Bayero University Kano, Kano State.

Others are Sports University, Idumuje, Ugboko, Delta State, to be mentored by the University of Benin, Edo State; Baba Ahmed University, Kano, Kano State to be mentored by Bayero University Kano; and SAISA University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Sokoto, Sokoto State to be mentored by Usmanu Danfodio University.

The minister said Nigerian British University, Asa, Abia State would be supervised by the University of Port Harcourt; Peter University, Achina-Onneh, Anambra State, would be mentored by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Newgate University, Minna, Niger State would be supervised by the Federal University Minna, Niger State; European University of Nigeria, Duboyi, Abuja, FCT, to be mentored by the University of Abuja; and North West University, Sokoto, Sokoto State to be mentored by Usmanu Danfodio University.

Mohammed added that the mentoring universities would oversee the following activities of the new universities which include: “recruitment of principal officers, academic, and administrative staff; availability of human and material resources for the commencement of any academic programme; implementation of carrying capacity; assistance in staff development; moderation of students examination and the results; general quality assurance activities; moderation of admission; as well as external examination moderation.”