The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on October 21 approved the establishment of seven new private universities in the country in consideration of the rising population of Nigeria and as part of the present Administration’s desire to improve skills and enhance standard.

The Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

She said the endorsement followed a Memo presented to the Council by the Minister of Education seeking approval for the issuance of provisional licences for the establishment of the institutions.

The institutions are Wellspring University, Evbuobanosa, Edo State; Paul University, Awka, Anambra State; Rhema University, Obeama-Asa, Rivers State; Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State; Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State; Godfrey Okoye University, Ugwuomu-Nike, Enugu State; and Nigerian Turkish Nile University, Abuja
This brings the total number of universities in Nigeria to 96 (72 private, 24 public).

The FEC also approved four contracts totaling N3.5 billion to improve power supply. They are for the engineering design, manufacture, supply, installation, and commission of three 60 MVA 132/33 KV transformers and associated switchgears in Hadejia, Katsina, and Kontagora.

The contracts also include consultancy services for the rehabilitation/extension of the Sapele power station switchyard; engineering design, manufacture, and supply capacitor and current transformers; and complete overhaul and rehabilitation of the water treatment plant at Egbin power station.

Source: Web