The cost of establishing private universities in Nigeria has increased dramatically. President Bola Tinubu’s administration now charges ₦30 million for the application and processing of new private university licenses. This is a substantial rise from the previous ₦6 million.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, announced the changes in a statement. The NUC also suspended all inactive applications for one year. This includes applications for private open universities.
Other Fees and Suspensions
The application form fee increased from ₦1 million to ₦5 million. The processing fee alone rose from ₦5 million to ₦25 million. The statement claims it has the legal basis to make the changes by the provisions of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“Pursuant to the above and in line with the directive of the Honourable Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission hereby informs Promoters of proposed Private Universities in particular and the general public as follows: The Commission hereby suspends further processing of: All inactive applications including those of private open universities…and Applications at the stage of submission of Letters of Intent only,” the statement reads.
The NUC said it will inform applicants who already purchased forms about the new ₦25 million processing fee. They must pay within 30 working days or their applications will be forfeited, the statement said.
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However, the Commission offered a one-year moratorium starting February 10, 2025, for inactive applications, applications at the initial “Letter of Intent” stage, and new applications for private universities, including open universities.
“The Commission is in the process of reviewing other aspects of the Guidelines for the Establishment of Private Universities in Nigeria to ensure that the proposed Universities, when licensed, are positioned to meet the challenges of the 21st Century,” the statement added.
It clarified that active ongoing applications will still be processed and then make recommendations to the Federal Executive Council for approval.
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