HISTORY OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA, 1979-2015

Abstract

The involvement of the private sector in the provision of university education is a global phenomenon. Previous studies on private universities in Nigeria have focused largely on the pedagogy and policies, with little attention paid to their historicity. This study was, therefore, designed to examine the history of private universities in Nigeria, with a view to investigating their growth, contributions and challenges from 1979, when the first major attempt at establishing private universities was made, to 2015, when private universities witnessed massive expansion. The historical approach was adopted, while the interpretive design was used. Primary and secondary sources were utilised. Six universities were purposively selected across the six geopolitical zones: Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo (Southwest), Madonna University, Okija (Southeast), Igbinedion University, Okada (South south), AL-Qalam University, Katsina (North west), American University of Nigeria, Yola (North east) and Baze University, Abuja (FCT). Indepth interviews were conducted with 129 purposively selected respondents aged between 25 and 91, due to their knowledge of private university education. They were 16 proprietors, 68 principal officers, 11 members of the National Universities Commission and 34 members of the hostcommunities. Secondary sources were books, journals and other relevant publications. Data were historically analysed. From 1979 to 1984, private universities founded by individuals and religious bodies were not gazetted by the government, hence, were proscribed by the Major General Muhammadu Buhari military administration by decree 19 of 1984. Between 1984 and 1999, private university enterprise was marred by stringent economic situations of Structural Adjustment Programme and political instability. Following the advent of democratic government in 1999 and pressures from religious and corporate organisations, General Abdulsalam Abubakar’s administration, on the 10th of May 1999, granted approval and operational licenses to three private universities: Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo; Madonna University, Okija and Igbinedion University, Okada. Between 1999 and 2015, there were 60 private universities in Nigeria: 28 owned by individuals and 32 by religious organisations. The emergence of private universities brought about certain modifications in the educational policy in Nigeria, such as recognition of private sector in the provision of university education and the inculcation of entrepreneurial skill acquisition programmes/trade subjects in the curriculum. Private universities contributed to socio-economic development by providing opportunities for employment, capacity building, increased accessibility; and diversification into ventures and extension services and urbanisation of the host-communities. They also played a prominent role in research innovations, such as Solar Energy Research and Application Centre (Bowen University, Iwo) and Africa’s Centre for Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, such as Ebola Virus, Monkey Pox and Lassa Fever at Redeemer’s University, Ede. Relatively high tuition fees, low students enrolment, insufficient academics, underfunding, deduction of tithe from the source and problem of land feud with host-community, were some of the challenges that confronted the private universities. The participation of the private sector in the expansion of university education from 1979 to 2015 brought about significant socio-economic development and innovations to higher education in Nigeria. While private universities experienced tremendous growth in this period, they were also confronted by numerous challenges.