ABUJA, Nigeria | August 21, 2025
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Thursday criticised the Federal Government for approving licences for new private universities, barely weeks after announcing a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
In a statement signed by its President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, ASUU described the decision as contradictory and questioned why the National Universities Commission (NUC) continues to grant licences if, as the government maintains, access to higher education is no longer a challenge.
“ASUU watched in awe as the Federal Government announced the seven-year moratorium, and then proceeded to approve nine new private universities. While ASUU acknowledges the rights of private individuals to establish universities, education must be tightly controlled to ensure quality,” Piwuna said.
The union warned that excessive licensing risks turning higher education into a profit-driven venture and urged the government to prioritise quality over quantity.
According to figures cited by ASUU, Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 108 state universities, and 159 private universities, bringing the total to 339 institutions nationwide. However, NUC data show variations in state-university counts and totals depending on the most recent approvals, with official bulletins considered the authoritative source.
Government officials maintain that the moratorium applies only to new federal institutions, explaining that the approved private universities were long-pending applications that successfully passed NUC evaluation.
