The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, clarified on Tuesday that the Federal Government has no intention of divesting universities to private investors.

The clarification was provided by the Minister during the Second Quarterly Engagement of the Ministry with heads of units and chief executive officers of parastatals and agencies under its purview, held on Tuesday.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has expressed concerns regarding the Federal Government’s alleged intentions to transfer federal universities to private investors through public-private partnerships.

”There is no plan to sell off universities to investors,” he said, noting that the policy of the government allowed for transnational education.

 

He mentioned that transnational education is a strategy employed by the government to enhance tertiary education through the involvement of foreign investors in our educational 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.

“The private sector will play a major role in the provision of tertiary education, as there are more private universities in Nigeria than public universities combined.

“What this government has done is to open up the tertiary education level, in particular the universities, for global competitiveness,” he said.

The minister emphasized the imperative to facilitate the entry of international university operators into our nation. These entities should be permitted to establish independent institutions or forge collaborative partnerships with our local universities.

He clarified that this was not In any way an attempt to market its institutions, emphasizing that guidelines on transnational education had already been established.

The nation should draw inspiration from the practices of other countries in order to capitalize on the benefits of transnational education, as suggested by the esteemed individual.

“In other parts of the world, like Asia, they have benefited immensely from having international institutions in those countries.

“They have taken standards to those countries and also for the exchange and bringing money to those countries,” he said.

In addition, he mentioned that the meeting with the heads of government agencies and parastatals was conducted to assess the current status, identify any obstacles, and reinforce our dedication to improving the educational landscape of the nation.