The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that operations of the newly approved 37 new universities by the past administration would be implemented in batches.
Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman disclosed this after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said this was in recognition of the funding needed for effective and efficient educational programmes for these universities.
“A number of these new universities were approved by the past administration in its twilight. After much consideration, President Tinubu felt their take off should be staggered.
“It’s not that the universities will be scrapped but that they would be looked at them in terms of their areas of strength and advantages to the students.
“The focus of education of the new administration will be on the skills that such institutions would impact on the youths.
“Ordinarily we would have said we’ll review whether, but most of them are specialized institutions; colleges of education, agriculture, medicine and they are institutions that will support some of the mandates, the priority areas of this government,” he said.
“We desire a university where students can graduate with skills that are not only beneficial to them but to the economic growth of the nation,” he added.
The Minister said that government was equally looking at the challenges of states not being able to access the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, funds.
Mamman also revealed that President Tinubu has given approval for the completion of the abandoned multibillion-naira National Library Complex in Abuja.
Recall that the president Muhammadu Buhari-led past administration had approved the licensing of 37 new universities in the country a few days before the handing over date.
