Intending promoters of private universities in Nigeria will have to pay more before accessing application and having same processed.
This is sequel to an announcement by the National Universities Commission (NUC) that it has increased application fees for establishing private universities by more than 400 percent. It premised the decision on the need for better regulation and alignment with modern educational demands.
The Executive Secretary of the NUC Abdullahi Ribadu, said in a statement that it has raised the cost of purchasing an application form from ₦1 million to ₦5 million. It also hiked the processing fee from ₦5 million to ₦25 million.
Ribadu informed that applicants who have bought the form at the previous rate of ₦1 million but have not yet paid the processing fee must now comply with the new ₦25 million charge within 30 working days or risk forfeiting their applications.
The NUC also declared a one-year moratorium, effective from February 10, 2025, on inactive applications and fresh submissions for private universities, including private open universities.
“The Commission hereby imposes a moratorium for a period of one year on inactive applications for the establishment of new private universities to enable a comprehensive review of such pending applications,” Ribadu said.
He said applications that have remained stagnant for over two years, as well as those that have only submitted letters of intent under Step 1 of the 14-step approval process, are affected by the suspension.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission will continue to process pending active applications and make appropriate recommendations to the Federal Executive Council for approval,” Ribadu explained.
