The National Universities Commission (NUC) has significantly increased the application fee for establishing private universities in Nigeria, raising it by over 400%.
In a statement on Monday, NUC Executive Secretary Abdullahi Ribadu explained that the price hike aims to enhance the coordination of private university applications and ensure new institutions are adequately prepared to meet 21st-century challenges.
As part of the revision, the fee for purchasing application forms for the establishment of a private university has increased from ₦1 million to ₦5 million. Additionally, the processing fee for applications has been raised from ₦5 million to ₦25 million.
Implementation and Moratorium on New Applications
The Commission clarified that applicants who had already purchased forms at the previous rate but had yet to pay the processing fee would now be required to make the updated ₦25 million payment. These applicants have 30 working days to complete the payment or risk forfeiting their applications.
Furthermore, the NUC announced the suspension of inactive applications, including those for private open universities that have shown no progress for more than two years.
To streamline the application process, the Commission has imposed a one-year moratorium, effective February 10, 2025, on:
Inactive applications to allow for a comprehensive review.
Applications still at Step 1 of the 14-step process (i.e., those that have only submitted a Letter of Intent).
Fresh applications for new private universities, including private open universities.
Despite the moratorium, the NUC assured that it would continue processing active applications and make necessary recommendations to the Federal Executive Council.
Since 1999, the Federal Government has approved the establishment of 149 private universities based on the NUC’s recommendations.
(Channels Television)
