The Federal Government has approved the establishment of 12 new private universities across the country.
The government explained that with this approval, the new universities would be mentored by federal universities close to their locations to provide recruitment of principal officers, academic, and administrative staff, availability of human and material resources for the commencement of any academic programme, among others.
The government said that the country does not have enough universities to accommodate the teeming population of youths desirous for university education.
The Government also said that its relevant ministries and agencies were interfacing with the striking unions like the Academic Staff Union of Univerdities, ASUU; Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU; Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, to ensure that the strikes were called off.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this on behalf of the Minister of Education, while speaking to newsmen at the end of the virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the Minister, some of the new private universities are specialised ones.
He said that the approval was given by the council following a memorandum presented by the Ministry of Education on behalf of the National Universities Commission, NUC.
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 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 University of Benin, Edo State; Baba Ahmed University, Kano, Kano State, Bayero University Kano; SAISA University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Sokoto, Usmanu Danfodio Sokoto, and Nigerian British University, Asa, Abia State, to be mentored by University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Also given approval are the Peter University, Achina-Onneh, Anambra State, to be mentored by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Newgate University, Minna, Niger State, Federal University Minna, Niger State;
European University of Nigerian, Duboyi, Abuja, FCT, to be mentored by University of Abuja, FCT, and Northwest University, Sokoto, Sokoto State, to be mentored by Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.