(By Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye – ABUJA)
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved eight new private universities with three-year provisional licenses, as well as appointing federal universities as mentors.
This brings the number of private universities in the country to 69 and the total number of universities (public and private) to 151.
Addressing State House correspondents, Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwuka, said the FEC meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, approved the universities on the recommendation of the National Universities Commission (NUC) on their compliance with the very strict conditions necessary for approval.
According to him, the approval was to ensure that the teeming population of Nigerian students seeking admission into universities are given the opportunity to do so. 

The approved universities are
1.) Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos (promoted by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, to be mentored by University of Lagos).
2.) Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River State (promoted by The Clitter House Nigeria Limited, to be mentored by University of Calabar).
3.) Clifford University, Owerrinta, Abia State (promoted by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, to be mentored by University of Agriculture, Umudike, Umuahia).
4.) Coal City University, Enugu (promoted by African Thinkers Community of Inquiry College of Education, Enugu – to be mentored by University of Nigeria, Nsukka).
5.) Crown-Hill University, Eiyenkorin, Kwara (promoted by Modern Morgy and Sons Limited, to be mentored by a University of Ilorin).
6.) Dominican University, Ibadan (promoted by the Order of Preachers, Nigerian Dominican Community).
7.) Kola Daisi University, Ibadan (promoted by Kola Daisi Foundation, to be mentored by University of Ibadan).
8.) Legacy University, Okija, Anambra State (promoted by the Good Idea Education Foundation, to be mentored by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa).
Explaining why mentors were appointed for the new universities, Anwuka said mentoring was part of the requirement as contained in the Education Act Cap E3 Law of Federal Republic of Education 2004 implemented by the NUC and the Federal Ministry of Education.
“It is the part of the requirements. An older university within the university zone where each of the new universities has been approved is given the mandate to oversee and mentor the new universities in terms of academic and administrative culture for three years within which period they must have learnt the art of university governance and academic details.”
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, throwing more light on the issue of mentoring, said, “the law is very specific on exactly what is required. I think the first is that each of the mentoring universities would, among other issues, ensure that the correct appointment of the governing council is made; that they recruit appropriate principal officers both academic and administrative; that there would be availability of human and material resources for the commencement of any academic performance.
“They also have the responsibility to ensure implementation of carrying capacity. They must also assist in staff development. They must also modulate students’ examination; must guarantee quality assurances of the university. They also have responsibility to moderate admission and also moderate external examination even the older universities were also mentored by universities abroad.

“But we believe that by today, we have reached the situation whereby our own universities are capable of mentoring the universities,” Mohammed said.