The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved 33 new universities across Nigeria in 2025, increasing the total number of universities in the country to 309.
Newsonspot reports that data from the NUC shows that 20 of the newly approved universities are private institutions, while the federal government established seven, and state governments created six.
The new federal universities are located in Rivers, Kaduna, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, and Zamfara states. State governments in Niger, Benue, Cross River, and Imo each set up one university, while Ebonyi State established two new institutions.
Among the private universities, six are located in Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Imo, with two in each location. Ogun and Kwara states have three private universities each, while others are in Ondo, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Enugu, Kaduna, and Taraba states.
Currently, private universities dominate Nigeria’s higher education sector with 168 institutions, followed by 74 federal universities and 67 state-owned universities.
Some of the new federal universities include the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Tai Town, Rivers State; the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, Kaduna State; and the Federal University of Agriculture and Developmental Studies in Iragbiji, Osun State, among others.
New state universities include Abdulsalam Abubakar University of Agriculture and Climate Action in Mokwa, Niger State; Ebonyi State University of ICT, Science and Technology in Oferekpe; Cross River University of Education and Entrepreneurship in Akamkpa; and Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology in Ihugh.
Some newly approved private universities include Leadership University in Abuja, Jimoh Babalola University in Ilorin, Bridget University in Imo State, Greenland University in Taraba State, JEFAP University in Niger State, Azione Verde University in Imo State, and Unique Open University in Lagos State.
In January 2026, NUC Executive Secretary Abdullahi Ribadu revealed that over 879 new academic programmes were introduced in Nigerian universities in 2025. He explained that the programmes follow the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), which aims to produce globally competitive graduates.
According to Ribadu, the curriculum framework allocates 70 per cent to core academic content and 30 per cent to university-specific courses. The new programmes also focus on 21st-century skills such as digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving.
