in

Nigerians applaud FG’s approval of 8 new private universities

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday, November 2, 2016, approved eight new private universities across the country. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) granted the approval during a meeting which was held at the council chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Briefing the State House Correspondents, the Minister of State for Education, Anthony Onwuka said, the ministry submitted a memo seeking approval for eight private universities after recommendation by the NUC.

“The eight approved universities include Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos, Arthur Jarvis Akpabuyo University, Calabar, Cross River, Clifford University, Owerri, Abia, Coal City University, Enugu, Crown Hill University, Kwara, Dominican University, Ibadan, Oyo, Kola Daisy University, Ibadan and Legacy University, Okija, Anambra state,” he said.

ENCOMIUM Weekly sampled the opinions of Nigerians on the new development. In the chat, some see the approval as a way forward in our educational system while others lambasted the approval saying the FG should facilitate the existing schools…

 

MR PAUL AWANU

Approving private universities is a choice based on personal cash-flow. Approving additional private universities, some owned by Mission is not a crime or anti-poor. It reduces pressure from Government Schools and helps the poorer to get admission. So, I don’t think it’s a bad idea.

 

SAMSON OYELEYE

This is not a good development, I must say. Graduates are flooding the labour market every year, BSc/HND graduates are now opting for sales boys and girls in labour market. Many of our graduates are now into sport betting and so many other odd jobs. The federal government is just approving more private universities when they cannot provide jobs for the number of graduates being produced by already existing universities. What we really need now is job creation, job approval and not additional universities to an already dying system.

 

VICTOR WILFRED 

What’s the hope of the common man when churches float universities that only the rich can afford? I don’t see this as a good idea, I just feel it’s a way of telling the poor there’s no provision for them in the country.

 

MARY-ANN ELIZABETH

I’m totally against the approval of all of these private universities. Imagine our government approves 8 new private universities and none is a technical or agricultural institution. We need to focus more on technical and vocational schools that teach people craftsmanship and hand work, not all these glorified universities that the masses can’t afford. What we really need isn’t degree awarding but technical skills education. We need electricians that know what to do and how to fix things, carpenters, mechanics, painters, plumbers that will be properly trained. In this manner, they will be able to give back to the society.

 

ESTHER ENEH

I don’t see anything bad in approving new private universities. At least, approval of those schools is a good way of creating jobs for the people. Our problem is Nigerian youths are jobless, not because they didn’t go to school but majority of our graduates went through irrelevant universities, acquired irrelevant training in irrelevant fields. How can they find jobs. So, for me it’s a good one from our government.

 

OLAWALE PETER

Nigerian public universities can only admit less than 30 percent of admission seekers. That means about 70 percent that are left to roam the streets. Approving new private universities is not a problem and it will never be. Our government should just do more to strengthen the system, both public and private.

 

FOLA ADEGOKE

This is a welcome development. We need more universities. The USA has over 2,500 universities. We are a population of over 160 million people having less than 200 universities. What our government needs to look into is funding the already existing ones and giving them standard. We need more of our secondary school leavers admitted unlike the ‘no capacity’ song we sing after the UTME every year. So, if you look at the approval from a good point of view you will realise it’s a welcome idea.

-OLUWAFEMI SOEWU

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Avatar

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Buhari to Kerry: Corruption fighting back vigorously, but we’ll win

Ambode mourns passage of foremost industrialist, Rasheed Gbadamosi