Abuja, Nigeria – The Federal Government has no intention of selling universities to private investors, Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, affirmed on Tuesday. Speaking at the Second Quarterly Engagement with heads of units and chief executive officers of parastatals and agencies under the Ministry of Education, Mamman sought to dispel recent claims made by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

“There is no plan to sell off universities to investors,” Mamman stated. He explained that the government’s policy supports transnational education, a strategy to enhance the tertiary education system by attracting international investments and collaborations.

He further clarified, “Some people are carrying information that the Federal Government is selling off its universities to private investors. 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 minister emphasized that while the private sector will play a significant role in tertiary education, this does not equate to selling public universities. He highlighted that Nigeria already has more private universities than public ones, indicating the government’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities without divesting public assets.

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“What this government has done is to open up the tertiary education level, in particular the universities, for global competitiveness,” Mamman said. He stressed the need to welcome international educational institutions into the country, either independently or in partnership with local universities, to foster global standards and competitiveness.

Mamman pointed out that other countries, particularly in Asia, have greatly benefited from international institutions setting up campuses within their borders. “They have taken standards to those countries and also brought money to those countries,” he noted, suggesting Nigeria could similarly benefit from transnational education.

The minister reiterated that existing guidelines on transnational education are in place to facilitate these collaborations without compromising the integrity of Nigeria’s public universities.

By promoting transnational education, the government aims to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Nigeria’s tertiary education system while maintaining strong public institutions.