The National Universities Commission has challenged anyone with information about any unlicensed university operating in Nigeria to come forward with it.
The NUC is reacting to a story by an online media outlet (not herald.ng) claiming that there were 54 illegal universities currently operating in the country.
In a briefing of journalists on Tuesday, the Director, Information and Public Relations, of the NUC, Ibrahim Yakassai, said “I want to say that there is no illegal universities currently operating in Nigeria that is of the knowledge of the NUC. Our Commission did not suddenly wake up to it responsibility of discovering 54 illegal universities.”
He stressed, “The procedures involved in establishing a university in Nigeria is very stringent and it involves 14 steps; more so because owing a university is a very serious business, we counsel them towards knowing that it should not be with the intention of making money but only service for humanity.”
Speaking further, Yakassai berated those peddling rumours about the existence of such universities, stating that the Commission had set up a committee in partnership with the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC; and the Police that monitors and closes any university declared illegal by the commission.