Niger State Govt Set To Close Unlicensed Health Colleges, Others

THE Niger State government has said it will shut down unlicenced private tertiary health colleges and other institutions operating in the state.

Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Professor Abubakar Baba Aliyu gave the hint in Minna during a chat with newsmen on Monday.

Professor Abubakar Baba Aliyu revealed that government was not comfortable with the proliferation of private tertiary health colleges and other institutions. He said that substantial number of them were not adequately licenced by government.

Professor Aliyu explained that government would soon embark on scrutiny of all private tertiary institutions and any one found operating below the set standards would be axed. The commissioner assured that students from such institutions would be readmitted into government licensed ones.

The University Don cautioned parents and guardians to stop patronising unlicenced private institutions.

The Commissioner also stated that government had set standards for public and private institutions in the state, and any institution that compromised it would be sanctioned accordingly.

“Private tertiary institutions recognised by the State Government were given provisional approval, and we realised more were established without government approval,” Professor Aliyu said.

“Recently, I paid an unscheduled visit to some private tertiary institutions and what I saw on ground was not pleasant.”

He disclosed that his Ministry would soon call for meeting of stakeholders to address challenges confronting private institutions in the state.

Aliyu maintained that the State Government had strengthened public institutions to enable them admit more students; hence, the need for citizens to seek admission in public institutions.