On Wednesday, the Federal Executive Council, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of 12 more universities.
The higher institutions of learning are to be situated in Kano, Niger, Gombe, Sokoto, Delta, Abia, Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
This was made known by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed after the. FEC meeting.
Mr. Lai said it is inconsequential that the Academic Staff Union of Universities are on strike for poor funding of existing universities.
He said: “Council approved the memo for the issuance of provisional licences for the establishment of 12 proposed private universities.
“The proposed private universities are Pen Resource University Gombe, Gombe State, Al-Ansar University, Maiduguri, Borno State, Margaret Lawrence University, Delta State, Khalifa Ishaku Rabiu University Kano, Kano State, Sports University Idumuje Ugboko, Delta State, Bala Ahmed University Kano, Saisa University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Sokoto State, Nigerian-British University Hasa, Abia State and Peter University Acina-Onene, Anambra State as well as Newgate University, Minna, Niger State, European University of Nigeria in Duboyi, Abuja and the North-West University, Sokoto.”
Asked to give cogent reasons the government will approve more universities when ASUU is still on strike, he stated: “Can we say because ASUU is on strike, therefore we will not have new universities when we know that today 65 percent of eligible students in the universities are just roaming the streets? When we know that today, there are about 5,000 Nigerian students in Ukraine alone.
“And I think the total number of Nigerian students outside there is about 165,000. We have a population of about 200 million people and we have just about 200 universities while countries like Indonesia have about 1,200 universities. We cannot fold our hands because ASUU is on strike so will not expand our educational facilities.
“You asked me, was the issue of ASUU discussed in council? We have Ministers and departments who are full time every day dealing with the issues of ASUU and labor unrest. It is not every matter that you discuss in Council, no.
“But I can tell you no government will just sleep and pretend that ASUU is not on strike, but there is engagement going on.”
