No Nigerian university or college may accept US dollars as payment for tuition, according to Thursday’s statement from the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Making this point clear during a media parley with education reporters in Abuja was Chris Maiyaki, the acting Executive Secretary of NUC.
He was responding to an announcement by the EFCC, which sought to summon private school owners in Nigeria who allegedly accept American cash as payment for tuition.
Our investigation into the matter has revealed that the aforementioned institution does not use the dollar as a medium of payment for tuition. Students from other countries can only pay in USD. “I implore the media to stand with us in informing the public that it is illegal for any Nigerian university to charge fees in dollars,” he declared.
As long as they are sustainable and up to par, the executive secretary added, the commission will keep approving additional universities.
In addition to the current 270 universities in the country, he revealed that the commission would create two more by next week by issuing licenses.
He claims that this would make it possible for more Nigerians to attend university and reduce the number of students leaving the nation to pursue higher education.
He announced that the National Universities Commission will keep approving new university campuses, citing the large disparity between the demand for and supply of higher education as the reason.
He went on to say that the commission will keep accepting applications for nationwide Distance Learning Centres so that more people can have access to education.