The need for more admission spaces by prospective university students might have prompted the recent 303 applications for the establishment of  new private universities across the country by some individuals and groups. According to Professor Abubakar Rasheed, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), there are not less than 303 new applications for the establishment of new private universities. He disclosed this at the recent two-day National Summit on Private Universities in Abuja. Arising from this, some experts and stakeholders in the education sector have expressed concerns on the development and caution that quality should never be sacrificed on the altar of expediency. We agree no less with them.

As the body statutorily mandated to regulate the establishment of new universities and monitor their activities, there is no doubt that the NUC has a big job on its hand. The NUC must ensure that the right thing is done and nothing more than that. The democratisation of the higher education sector is good, but it should never be at the expense of quality and minimum standards.

At present, there are 170 universities in the country. Forty-three are owned by the Federal Government and forty-eight by state governments. Seventy-nine are private universities owned by individuals and groups. With 303 new applications, it is very likely that the number of universities in the country would definitely rise. While there is nothing wrong in establishing new universities, whether private or public, there is every need to ensure that such requests for new universities meet the required minimum standards.

Therefore, the NUC should consider all the new applications and give approvals to only those that meet the minimum standards required to establish a university.  It must also ensure that high standards are maintained in the existing universities. Without doubt, many of the existing universities in the country are not adequately equipped. They lack technical and physical infrastructure, as well as minimal faculties to run as universities. NUC should step up its regulatory and supervisory functions to remedy the situation.

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Since there are minimum standards applicants must meet, including physical infrastructure, acreage, number of departments and faculties and their staffing before they are granted approvals to run as universities, the NUC must ensure that the new applicants satisfy these conditions. And when approvals are given, it is also the responsibility of the NUC to constantly monitor the institutions to ensure that the minimum standards are maintained. The NUC must not falter in this responsibility.

It must strictly apply the guidelines for the establishment of new universities.  The mushrooming of universities has become worrisome in recent times. In the past, and up till the 1980s, our universities were comparable with the best anywhere in the world. But it is no longer so at the moment.

These days, certificates issued from our universities are subjected to all kinds of humiliating interrogations by foreign universities  and the holders made to undertake remedial or make up courses to validate them. In some cases such certificates are rejected.

 It is regrettable that our universities are hardly found among the best in global ratings. We want this ugly narrative to change. This should be troubling enough to serve as a wake-up call on the NUC to monitor the universities.  Their job should not be to only draw the attention to the rot in the sector. It must go further to ensure strict compliance with the extant regulations and faithful monitoring of all the universities. While individuals and groups are free to apply to establish new universities, the NUC, working with other stakeholders, should ensure that minimum standards are upheld. Apart from that, the Federal and State governments should map out plans to expand their existing universities instead of rushing to establish new ones. If some of the existing universities are expanded, they can absorb more students.