The federal government has presented operational licences to 11 newly approved private universities, aimed at expanding access to quality tertiary education.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during the presentation ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday, stated that the issuance of licences followed the approval of the National Universities Commission, NUC.

The newly licensed universities include New City University, Aiyetoro, Ogun State; Lens University, Ilemona, Kwara State; Kevin Ezeh University, Mgbowo, Enugu State; Southern Atlantic University, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State; Minaret University, Ikirun, Osun State; Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University, Ganmo, Kwara State; Monarch University, Iyesi Ota, Ogun State; Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin, Edo State; Isaac Balami University of Aeronautic and Management, Lagos State; and Eranova University, Kuje, FCT.

Alausa stated that the approval aligns with the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative, designed to restore the glory of the nation’s educational system.

“This ceremony is not only a celebration of your achievements but also a renewed call to action in building a future-ready and globally competitive Nigerian university system,” he said.

He stressed the urgent need to steer Nigeria’s higher education towards priority fields such as STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences).

“Nigeria has more than enough social science graduates. What we need now are problem-solvers—graduates with life skills who can drive industries, build infrastructure, and improve lives.

“We must acknowledge an uncomfortable truth that, while we now have 159 licensed private universities, too many are failing to meet the quality standards Nigeria demands,” he said.

Alausa added that licensing must not be symbolic but must lead to a tangible educational impact.

To this end, he revealed that the NUC is undertaking a comprehensive review of quality assurance mechanisms to ensure that all licensed institutions, whether public or private, function as genuine centres of learning, innovation, and research.

He further encouraged private universities to collaborate among themselves and establish international affiliations, citing Nigeria’s potential as a hub for global educational partnerships.

The minister disclosed that, following presidential directives, several universities that had awaited approval for over four years were finally granted licences after a thorough evaluation process concluded within three years.

“Private universities must rise to the challenge of delivering high-quality, relevant education that meets the demands of a modern economy.

“With support from regulatory bodies and a renewed commitment to excellence, the newly approved institutions are expected to play a transformative role in shaping the nation’s next generation of leaders and innovators,” he explained.

The NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, underscored the growing importance of private universities as complementary partners to public institutions, especially in serving Nigeria’s youthful population.

Ribadu noted that since the liberalisation of university education in 1999, private institutions have significantly expanded the nation’s academic landscape.

“From just 49 universities in 1999, 23 of which were private, Nigeria now boasts 298 universities, with 159 (53.3 per cent) being privately owned.

“The catalyst for this expansion is the increased participation of the private sector,” he said.

He explained that the licences granted are provisional, valid for a period of three years, during which the institutions must meet rigorous quality benchmarks.

“The provisional status is subject to close monitoring by the NUC, with full licences to be granted only after a thorough evaluation of each institution’s compliance with regulatory standards,” he said.

To ensure readiness for academic operations, the NUC boss announced that a mandatory resource verification exercise would be conducted for all academic programmes.

Speaking on behalf of the proprietors, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, proprietor of University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State, urged the NUC to eliminate barriers that hinder Nigerian universities from engaging more actively with global institutions.

Ibrahim emphasised the urgency of fostering international academic partnerships to advance innovation, skills development, and national growth.

Likewise, Tony Iredia, proprietor of Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin, appealed to the federal government to ensure that the moratorium period is not unduly prolonged.

Iredia further noted that Nigerian universities may be underperforming in research due to inadequate communication and dissemination of research findings.

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The Federal Government yesterday approved an increase of between 25% and 35% in salary for civil servants on the remaining six Consolidated Salary Structures.

It also approved pay rise for its pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme, DBS.

This came on a day labour leaders said the last year had been tough and agonising for workers and the masses.

The Salary Structure is the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure (CONICCS) and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS).

Recall that those in the tertiary education and health sectors have already received their increases which involved Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) for Universities.

For Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, it involved the Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure (CONTEDISS).

The health sector also benefitted through the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Sector Salary Structure (CONHESS).

A statement signed by the Head of Press, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Emmanuel Njoku, said the increases took effect on January 1, 2024.

The federal government had also approved increases in pension of between 20% and 28% for pensioners on the Defined Benefits Scheme with respect to the above-mentioned six consolidated salary structures with effect from 1st January 2024.

For the pensioners, it was gathered that in line with Section 173 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the government “convey approval for the implementation of new pension rates for pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme following the recent increase in the under-listed consolidated salary structures in the Federal Public Service as grade level 01 to 16 , (20 percent), grade level 17 (28 percent), grade level 01 to14 (20 percent), and grade level 15 (28 percent).

The pay rise also took effect from January 1, 2024.

As workers worldwide celebrate Workers Day today, labour said yesterday that workers and the masses in the country have in the last twelve months, been through tough and agonising experiences as a result of policies of the federal government.

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, agreed with the labour leaders, saying Nigerian workers have never had it so bad with government policies skewed against their welfare.

Meanwhile, the federal government has declared today a public holiday to enable workers celebrate it.

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By Amaechi Agbo

A grateful Nigeria nation has showered National Honours and material gifts on players and officials of the Senior Men National Football Team, Super Eagles for reaching the Final of the Africa Cup of Nations championship concluded in Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu told members of the team at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja on Tuesday: “I am very proud of you. This country is proud of you because you gave us great excitement. Your performance is confirmation that we can achieve so much as a nation if we all come together and unite for positive purposes, despite our diversity.”

“You worked very hard and navigated your way through to the Final. You lifted our spirit; you made us proud and you made us smile.”

The President then conferred National Awards of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) on all the players and their officials, as well as President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau and the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.

All the 25 players and their officials are now also proud owners of a flat each in the Federal Capital Territory, as well as a plot of land each also in the Federal Capital Territory.

President Tinubu described defender and vice captain William Ekong, named Player of the Tournament, as a ‘warrior’ and named Africa Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen as ‘Trojan horse’. He praised the Federal Ministry of Sports and the Nigeria Football Federation for their efforts in preparing the team for glory.

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh described President Tinubu as the biggest sports-supporting President that Nigeria has ever had, and lauded the Nigeria Football Federation for ensuring that for the first time in a long time, Nigeria has returned from a major sporting competition without any crisis or complaints of any kind by the athletes.

Responding, Ekong, on behalf of the entire, thanked the President for the awards and gifts: “I wish we are here presenting Your Excellency with the trophy, but that is not the case despite giving our very best to the campaign. We have two people in this team who have gold medals, each sitting on either side of me (Ahmed Musa and Kenneth Omeruo). In 2019, we won bronze medals. This time, we won silver medals. I believe that at the next competition, we will strike gold.”

Also at the occasion were Vice President Kashim Shettima; Alhaji Tajudeen Abbas (Speaker of the House of Representatives); Chief George Akume (Secretary to the Government of the Federation); Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (Chief of Staff to the President); Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Minister of Youth Development); Ezenwo Nyesom Wike (Minister of the FCT); Mrs Tinuke Watti (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports Development), Board Members of the NFF and other top government officials.

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