By Ayomide Otitoju
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has raised the application fees for establishing private universities in Nigeria by over 400%, citing the need for better coordination and to ensure new institutions meet 21st-century educational challenges.
In a statement issued on Monday, NUC Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Ribadu, announced that the fee for purchasing application forms for private university establishment has increased from N1 million to N5 million, while the processing fee has surged from N5 million to N25 million.
The commission clarified that applicants who have already bought forms at the previous rate but have not yet paid the processing fee must now pay the revised N25 million fee within 30 working days or risk forfeiting their applications.
Suspension of Inactive Applications
The NUC also announced a moratorium on inactive applications, including those for private open universities that have remained stagnant for over two years. The suspension, effective February 10, 2025, will last for one year and applies to:
Inactive applications for new private universities pending review.
Applications stuck at Step 1 of the 14-step procedure, where only a Letter of Intent has been submitted.
Fresh applications for private universities, including private open universities.
However, the commission assured that active pending applications would continue to be processed and forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for approval.
Since 1999, the Federal Government has approved 149 private universities based on NUC recommendations.
