NUC approves two new varsities for Lagos

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has presented an operational license to the Lagos State Government for the commencement of two new universities.

The new institutions are the University of Education, Ijanikin/Epe, and Lagos State University of Science and Technology.

The Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, while presenting operational licences to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in Abuja said the number of universities in the country cannot meet the present demand for higher education in the country.

The NUC Executive Secretary, who said Nigeria before now could only boast of 203 universities, said the two additional ones have raised the number to 205, but still not enough when compared to the over 200 million people in the country.

He explained that despite the increasing number of private universities in the country as against state and federal universities, they could only account for 5.06 per cent of students in the nation’s ivory towers, leaving the remaining 94percent in public universities.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who expressed delight over the coming on board of the new institutions, said the University of Education was an upgrade and merging of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin, and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), while the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) was converted to the University of Science and Technology.

The governor said the new universities would provide massive opportunities for individuals seeking university education in the state.

“Record has shown every year, even with our best efforts, we still find it difficult to meet the demands of our teeming youths who are craving for higher education, who are the future leaders. who want to be a reference point not only for themselves, not only for their family but for our nation,” he said.

While assuring of the readiness of the government to support the new universities to deliver on their mandate, Sanwo-Olu said one of the new institutions already has about 60 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) holders, adding that Nigerians should expect the best from the new institutions as they are located in the centre of excellence.