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JUST IN: FG opposes N/Assembly’s proposals for 200 new varsities

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The federal government has expressed opposition to the proposals by the National Assembly for creation of nearly 200 new universities in the country.

It said with almost 200 bills in the National Assembly for establishment of new universities, there is a growing concern that the system is becoming overwhelmed.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, stated this in Abuja yesterday during the third edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing.

The country currently has 278 universities, 64 of which are federal; 67, state; and 147, private.

The government had, last month, announced a one-year moratorium on the establishment of new private universities “to enhance the quality and sustainability of private universities, ensuring that only institutions with the necessary financial and academic capacity are granted licenses.”

The minister yesterday emphasised that strengthening the capacities of the existing universities is more important than establishing new ones.

He said: “They (lawmakers) are passing a lot of bills. Today, I can tell you that there are almost 200 bills in the National Assembly. We can’t continue like this.

Even though we have a lot of them, the capacity for a university to admit is not there. What we need to do now is to rebuild the capacities so that we can offer more viable courses to our citizens.

“We need to stop this (the 200 bills for new universities) from happening. There is so much pressure on the president. We have to, at least, be sensitive to it as well.

“I understand the sentiment of our legislators. They want to show that they are working. We know they are working. But then, we have enough assets, we have enough opportunities out there for students to go to universities.

“What we now need to do is to begin to mobilise more resources to develop infrastructures, build engineering workshops, build laboratories in these universities, recruit international standard teachers, so that we can begin to get these universities to develop, to deliver high quality of education that will be known for as a country.

“Today, if you care to know, we have 64 federal universities, 67 state universities and 147 private universities.

If you look at the entire enrolment together, the private universities account for just 7.5% of total undergraduate enrolment.

I will tell you the meaning of the number. The total number of undergraduate enrolments today is just about 875,000, which is, at least, fairly low.

“We have universities with less than 1,000 undergraduate students, and there is this intense demand for more universities to be opened. We have to stop that.”

however, it is not only the legislators that are obsessed with pushing for the establishing of universities as constituency project or for status symbol.

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BREAKING: VP Shettima arrives in Kebbi over Schoolgirls abduction

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The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has arrived in Kebbi State to meet with the state government officials and families of schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga.

The aircraft carrying Shettima landed at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi.Shettima was accompanied by Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Zubaida Umar, and other government officials.

Shettima, who had earlier departed Abuja for Kebbi on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, is expected to convey Tinubu’s message to the people of the state, as well as receive a briefing on the situation for onward communication to the President.

Ohibaba.com recalls that the attack on the Kebbi school claimed the life of the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who was reportedly killed while trying to prevent the bandits from taking the girls away.

Meanwhile, the police said on Monday that a combined tactical team was deployed to comb the forests in a bid to rescue the girls.

President Bola Tinubu has condemned the attack and commiserated with the families of those affected.

He also postponed his scheduled trips to Johannesburg in South Africa and Luanda, Angola, to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders and the 7th AU-EU Summit, respectively.

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Tinubu postpones S’Africa, Angola trips over Kebbi, Kwara attacks

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President Bola Tinubu has postponed his scheduled trip to South Africa for the G20 Leaders’ Summit as he awaits further security briefings from Vice President Kashim Shettima on the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls and the attack on Christ Apostolic Church worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State.

Tinubu also ordered the deployment of more security personnel “to Eruku and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, and directed the police to go after the bandits who attacked worshippers,” a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed on Wednesday.

The directive was “in response to the request by the governor of Kwara State,” Onanuga stated.

Officials close to the President had told our correspondent that Tinubu intends to receive first-hand reports on the situation in Kebbi, including the outcome of meetings with local leaders, before embarking on his trip.

Tinubu was scheduled to leave Abuja today to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders in South Africa and thereafter proceed to Luanda to attend the 7th AU-EU Summit.

“Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Monday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, President Tinubu decided to suspend his departure.“

He now awaits reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who paid a sympathy visit to Kebbi on his behalf, as well as reports from the police and the Department of State Services regarding the attack in Kwara,” Onanuga explained.

The President reiterated his directive to the security agencies to “do everything possible to rescue the 24 schoolgirls, abducted by the bandits and bring the girls back home, safe.

”On Tuesday night, Tinubu had directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit Kebbi State on Wednesday over the abduction of 25 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, and the killing of the school’s Vice-Principal.

The President, who had been briefed by the military authorities “expressed sadness over the abduction of the schoolgirls, despite intelligence warnings of a possible strike by the bandits.

The Zuru Emirate in Kebbi State was thrown into panic in the early hours of Monday after armed bandits attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area and killed the Vice Principal and abducted at least 25 students.

While assuring the guardians of the kidnapped schoolgirls that the government will ensure their quick release, Tinubu also commiserated with the military over the death of the gallant soldiers and Brigadier General Musa Uba, who paid the ultimate price while on active duty fighting insurgents in Borno state.

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President Tinubu Postpones Trip to G20 Summit Because of Country’s Insecurity

Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Monday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, President Tinubu decided to suspend his departure.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has postponed his scheduled trip to Johannesburg, South Africa and Luanda, Angola, as he awaits further security briefings on the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls and the attack on Christ Apostolic Church worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State.

In response to the request by the governor of Kwara State, President Tinubu has ordered the deployment of more security men to Eruku and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, and directed the police to go after the bandits who attacked worshippers.

President Tinubu was scheduled to leave Abuja today to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders in South Africa and thereafter proceed to Luanda to attend the 7th AU-EU Summit.

Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Monday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, President Tinubu decided to suspend his departure.

He now awaits reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who paid a sympathy visit to Kebbi on his behalf, as well as reports from the police and the Department of State Services regarding the attack in Kwara.

President Tinubu reiterates his directive to the security agencies to do everything possible to rescue the 24 schoolgirls, abducted by the bandits and bring the girls back home, safe.

Bayo OnanugaSpecial Adviser to the President(Information and Strategy)November 19, 2025

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