The Federal Executive Council has approved the establishment of nine new private Universities in the country.
Vice President Namadi Sambo presided over the meeting as President Goodluck Jonathan was away in Sokoto attending the 90th birthday of former President Shehu Shagari.
The Universities, according to the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting on Wednesday, are: Augustine University, Ilara, Lagos State; Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State; Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele, Ogun State; Kings University, Ode Omu, Osun State; Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Orode, Delta State; Mountain Top University, Ogun State; Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State; and Summit University, Offa, Kwara State.
Also speaking, the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, said government will not interfere in the fees charged by the Universities.
However, Shekarau said government will ensure that the schools are of standard in terms of facilities and staffing among others.
His words: “As far as government is concerned, all Federal Government universities are tuition-free.
“Whatever the universities are charging are so minimal for some day-to-day activities: games fees, union fees and some other fees.
“Of recent, I had cause to ask the NUC to regulate the kind of minimum because there is a university that is charging as low as N20,000, N15,000.
“Some charge N30,000 to N80,000 or so, which is a composition of a number of different kinds of fees.
“But basically, no university owned by government is charging tuition fee.
“But the private universities are like any other private institutions: private primary school, private secondary school.
“All that is the responsibility of government is to ensure that the standards are maintained.
“We are to ensure that they are operating within the minimum required standard and that is the responsibility of the NUC in terms of their facilities, staffing and so on.
“The accreditation of any universities or courses has nothing to do with the fees they charge just like the private hospitals.
“Government really does not have anything to do as far as what the private institutions are charging.
“Tuition is free in public schools.”
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