FG commissions nine new private universities

The Federal Government on Wednesday approved the establishment on nine
new private universities in the country.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council
presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.
President Goodluck Jonathan traveled to Sokoto where he attended the
90th birthday of former President Shehu Shagari.
The Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka; the Minister of State,
Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda; the Minister of Water Resources,
Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe; and the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim
Shekarau, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the
meeting.
Chidoka listed the new universities as Augustine University, Ilara,
Lagos State; Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State; Christopher
University, Mowe, Ogun State; Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele, Ogun
State; Kings University, Ode Omu, Osun State; Michael and Cecilia Ibru
University, Orode, Delta State; Mountain Top University, Ogun State,
Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State and Summit University,
Ofa, Kwara State.
When asked what the Federal Government was doing to stop some private
universities from charging exorbitant fees, Shekarau said the
government was helpless.
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He said like private hospitals or nursery schools, owners of private
universities were free to charge fees that would give returns on their
investments.
The minister said the only concern of the government was to ensure
that the schools were of standard in terms of facilities and staffing
among others.
He said the saving grace was that all Federal Government-owned
universities were tuition-free.
He said, "As far as the government is concerned, all Federal
Government universities are tuition-free. Whatever the universities
are charging is so minimal for some day-to-day activities: sports
fees, union fees and some other fees.
"Of recent, I had cause to ask the National Universities Commission to
regulate tuition in public universities because there is a university
that is charging as low as N20,000, N15,000. Some charge between
N30,000 and 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:
private primary schools, private secondary schools. 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 accreditation of any universities or courses has nothing to do
with the fees they charge just like the private hospitals.
"Government really does not have anything to do as far as what the
private institutions are charging. Tuition is free in public schools."
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