The Federal Government has approved the establishment of nine new private universities to boost access to higher education and ease pressure on public institutions.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the decision on August 13, 2025, after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
List of Newly Approved Private Universities
- Tazkiyah University, Kaduna State
- Leadership University, Abuja
- Jimoh Babalola University, Kwara State
- Bridget University, Mbaise, Imo State
- Greenland University, Jigawa State
- JEFAP University, Niger State
- Azione Verde University, Imo State
- Unique Open University, Lagos State
- American Open University, Ogun State
The Tinubu administration inherited 551 pending applications for tertiary institutions. New guidelines reduced these to 79 active requests, with only nine meeting the requirements for approval.
Some promoters had invested billions and waited over six years for clearance due to inefficiencies within the National Universities Commission (NUC). The minister said reforms have now streamlined approvals and set stricter operational standards.
A moratorium is now in place on fresh applications for private universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, only institutions that meet the new standards will be considered.
