NUC raises private university application fee by over 400%

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has increased the application fees for establishing private universities by more than 400 percent, citing the need for better regulation and alignment with modern educational demands.

In a statement on Monday, NUC Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Ribadu, announced the revised charges, raising the cost of purchasing an application form from ₦1 million to ₦5 million. The processing fee has also been increased from ₦5 million to ₦25 million.

According to the commission, applicants who have bought the form at the previous rate of ₦1 million but have not yet paid the processing fee must now comply with the new ₦25 million charge within 30 working days or risk forfeiting their applications.

The NUC also declared a one-year moratorium, effective from February 10, 2025, on inactive applications and fresh submissions for private universities, including private open universities.

“The Commission hereby imposes a moratorium for a period of one year on inactive applications for the establishment of new private universities to enable a comprehensive review of such pending applications,” Ribadu said.

He said applications that have remained stagnant for over two years, as well as those that have only submitted letters of intent under Step 1 of the 14-step approval process, are affected by the suspension.

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However, the NUC official clarified that it would continue processing active applications and make recommendations to the Federal Executive Council for approval.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission will continue to process pending active applications and make appropriate recommendations to the Federal Executive Council for approval,” Ribadu said.