The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has said the Federal Government has no intentions of selling universities to private investors.
He made the clarification during the Second Quarterly Engagement of the ministry with heads of units and chief executive officers of parastatals and agencies under the ministry.
This is in response to accusations from the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, which claimed that the Federal Government was planning to sell federal universities to investors through public-private partnerships.
“There is no plan to sell off universities to investors,” Prof Mamman stated, emphasising that the government’s policy supports transnational education. He explained that transnational education involves attracting international investment into Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
“Some people are carrying information that the Federal Government is selling off to private investors its universities. This is an absolute lie and completely false. This government believes in our public institutions. However, as we all know, this government has reforms that this country needs,” he added.
Prof Mamman highlighted the significant role of the private sector in providing tertiary education, noting that there are more private universities in Nigeria than public ones combined.
He stressed that the government’s reforms aim to make Nigeria’s universities globally competitive by allowing international institutions to set up campuses either independently or in collaboration with local universities.
He assured that these reforms are not intended to privatise public institutions, noting that guidelines on transnational education have been established.
Prof Mamman cited examples from Asia, where countries have benefitted from hosting international institutions, enhancing their educational standards and generating revenue.
The minister reiterated that the engagement with heads of agencies and parastatals was aimed at reviewing progress, addressing challenges, and reaffirming commitment to improving the country’s educational landscape.
Alleluia is the Assistant Editor and Content Writer at LagosPost.ng. She is a prolific writer and editor, she has written features and news stories on Lifestyle, Sports, Business, Politics and B2B marketing. She is also an event coordinator, host and social media content creator.
