FG Increases Private University Application Fee to N25 Million

The Federal Government has revised the application processing fee for new private universities, raising it to N25 million.

In the past, the total amount required for obtaining provisional licenses for private universities was N6 million.

This directive was issued by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, to the National Universities Commission (NUC) on Monday through a memo signed by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu.

Ribadu also declared a one-year suspension of all inactive applications, including those for private open universities.

According to him, the moratorium will apply to applicants who have not made significant progress in their applications or have failed to submit necessary documents to the commission for over two years.

The NUC chief explained that the adjustment in application fees and the revision of private university establishment guidelines are in accordance with the provisions of the Education, National Minimum Standards, and Establishment of Institutions Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

He further stated that the law authorizes the commission to set regulations for establishing private universities across the country.

According to him, the cost of obtaining an application form for setting up a private university has been revised from N1 million to N5 million, while the application processing fee has been increased from N5 million to N25 million.

“The NUC will convey the reviewed processing fee of twenty-five million naira (N25,000,000.00) to applicants that have purchased application forms only.”

“They are also expected to effect payments within a period of thirty (30) working days or risk forfeiture of their pending applications,” the statement reads.

He stated that this move aims to enhance the quality of private universities in Nigeria to better serve the population and improve the coordination of the private university education sub-sector within the Nigerian university system (NUS).

“This is to ensure that newly established private universities are positioned to meet the challenges of the 21 century,” he said.

He, therefore, informed promoters of proposed private universities and the general public that the suspension specifically applies to applications that are still at the stage of submitting letters of intent.

“The commission hereby imposes a moratorium for a period of one year with effect from Monday, 10th February, 2025 on:

“Inactive applications for the establishment of new private universities to enable the commission to conduct a comprehensive review of such pending applications with a view to determining their viability.

“Applications on Step 1 of the 14-Step procedure (those that have submitted letters of intent only).

“Acceptance of fresh applications for the establishment of private universities, including private open universities,” he said.

The NUC chief further stated that the commission is currently reviewing other aspects of the guidelines for establishing private universities in Nigeria to ensure that when these institutions receive their licenses, they will be well-equipped to address 21st-century challenges.

“Details of the review would be communicated to stakeholders in due course. 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,” he said.