The National Universities Commission, NUC on Friday revealed that Nigeria now has 264 universities, including those owned by federal and state governments alongside private individuals and corporations.
It further stated that anyone trying to establish private colleges should be aware that if their motivation is to gain money, they are in the wrong business.
The Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof Abubakar Rasheed, stated these while presenting provisional licenses to newly established private universities in Abuja. He charged the proprietors of the new institutions to ensure that the motive for creating the universities was not for money but to benefit humanity.
He added, “In establishing universities, you don’t expect to get financial rewards. If your main motive is to make money, then you are in the wrong place. You are here to pay back to humanity. The establishment of private universities is in dire need of passion from people so that passion should drive you.” While charging the proprietors for quality assurance, the NUC boss assured them of the commission’s support and cooperation to grow the university system.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, David Adejo, said the Federal Government was committed to public-private partnership, especially in the education sector, saying this gave rise to the new universities.
Adejo said this was in a bid to increase access to university education.
According to him, the total enrollment ratio stands at 12 per cent, noting that there was a gap between demand and supply and that as long as this gap remained, the government would continue to welcome proposals for university establishment by credible groups.