The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the establishment of additional 20 private universities across the country.

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, revealed this when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday.

The approved universities will get their provisional licences from the National Universities Commission (NUC), which they will use for the next three years while monitoring and evaluation will go on, said the minister.

The approved universities are:  Topfaith University, Mkpatak, Akwa Ibom, Thomas Adewumi University, Oko-Irese, Kwara, Maranathan University, Mgbidi, Imo, Ave Maria University, Piyanko, Nasarawa State and Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila, Kano State.

Others are: Mudiame University, Irrua, Edo, Havilla University, Nde-Ikom, Cross River, Claretian University of Nigeria, Nekede, Imo, NOK University, Kachia, Kaduna State and Karl-Kumm University, Vom, Plateau.

James Hope University, Lagos, Lagos State, Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano, Kano State, Capital City University, Kano, Kano State, Ahman Pategi University, Pategi, Kwara and University of Offa, Offa, Kwara, also got provisional approval

Others are: Mewar University, Masaka, Nasarawa State, Edusoko University, Bida, Niger, Philomath University, Kuje, Abuja, Khadija University, Majia, Jigawa and Anan University, Kwall, Plateau.

Nine of the private universities are located in North Central, three in South South, two in South East, five in the North West and one in South West.

With the approval of additional 20 universities, Nigeria now has 99 private universities.