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JUST IN: FG opposes N/Assembly’s proposals for 200 new varsities
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.
The grandson of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, known as Olusegun Awolowo is dead.
His passing was announced today by the Awolowo family in a statement.
The statement reads:
Statement on the Passing of Olusegun Awolowo
“With extremely heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather- Olusegun Awolowo.
“He was the world’s most phenomenal husband, father and grandfather — steady, wise, endlessly loving, and the constant anchor of our family.
A painfully loyal servant to Nigeria, he dedicated his life to the service of his country with vision, integrity, passion, and unwavering commitment.
He was a true family man, a great friend, a wonderful servant of God, and a deeply beautiful human being.
“He loved his family.
He loved his work.
He loved his country.
And he lived every day with purpose, humility, and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.
“We are shattered by this loss, but forever grateful for his life, his legacy, and the love he poured into all of us. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
The statement added that “THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE CONDOLENCES AT HIS RESIDENCE BETWEEN 2 – 4 PM DAILY.”
……Kanu’s Lawyer Ejimakor reveals next move after court judgment
Nnamdi Kanu’s legal team has vowed to appeal his life imprisonment sentence, insisting that the judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court “does not hold water.
”Speaking to reporters shortly after the verdict, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, a consultant on the case, said they would take the matter to the Court of Appeal.
Ejimakor questioned the basis of the conviction, arguing that a man cannot be jailed for mere spoken words.
“What kind of precedent is being laid here? We are heading to the Court of Appeal,” he said.
“The Court of Appeal is the next forum in this country that sits as a jury. We will approach the justices to review what happened today, and we are confident they will see this as a travesty of justice.
”He added that if the Court of Appeal rules against them, they would proceed to the Supreme Court.
“Nnamdi Kanu is not going to stand convicted. The decision will be overturned,” he said.Ejimakor criticised the ruling as inconsistent with the evidence presented.
“This is the only day I have witnessed a man being convicted for mere pronouncements, for what he said, not for any act he committed.
“The sentence is overbroad, cruel, and unusual. How can someone be convicted for a broadcast from a location that was never named, without linking it to any act of violence or terrorism?,” he questioned.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment.
The presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, handed down the sentence on counts one, four, five, and six, opting for life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.
The court said it was satisfied that Kanu made series of broadcasts to incite violence and killings, in furtherance of his separatist agitation for Biafra.
Trial Justice James Omotosho based his decision on what he described as “uncontroverted evidence” that was adduced before the court by the prosecution.
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BREAKING: Grandson of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Olusegun Awolowo, is dead.
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