President Bola Tinubu has approved the staggered takeoff of six out of 14 public universities established by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made this known to State House Correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday, October 18.

Mamman said the choice of the universities – two colleges of agriculture, education, and medicine each – was strategic to the skills-empowerment goals of the Tinubu-led administration.

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The minister stated that the federal government lacked the funds and qualified staff to commence all institutions established by Buhari at once, saying they are capital intensive.

He added that Tinubu’s administration will be “conservative” in doling out approvals for the establishment of new universities in the country.

Mamman said: “There are quite a number of universities and institutions which were approved in the last days of the last administration, which because of issues of funding, and even staff it may not be prudent to get these institutions to take off altogether at once.

“So Mr President has directed we stagger their commencement, their takeoff so that the government can properly support them.”

The Star