Out of nine newly approved universities, none came from the North despite "the educational imbalance between the north and south". Researchers warn that the gap continues to increase.

After a meeting on the 25th of March, presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka told State House correspondents that the establishment of nine new private universities has been approved.
“Council also at this meeting approved the establishment of nine new private universities across the country," he said.
It would however be untrue to say the universities will be established "across the country" because none are situated in the North of the country, despite it being considered educationally disadvantaged.
“The nine new universities are Augustine University, Ilara, Lagos State; Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State; Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele,
Ogun State.
"Others are; Kings University, Ode Omu,
Osun State; Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Orode, Delta State; Mountain Top University, Ogun State, Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State and Summit University, Offa, Kwara State,” he added.
While Ogun, already saturated with tertiary institutions, will play host for four new universities, no state in the North has one.
This could be because of the insecurity in the North, or investors in the sector do not see the region as a good ground.
Objectively speaking, it is clear that the North needs more educational intervention, from the government as well as private individuals and investors.
In the abstract of his research 'Education and Development in a Globalized Environment: The Case of Northern Nigeria', (African Research Review Vol. 2 (3) 2008: pp. 130-145), N Yusef highlighted the glaring educational gap between the North and South of Nigeria.
"In Nigeria, concerns have been expressed on the glaring gap between the North and the South with regards to education," Yusef wrote.
"The classification of many states in the North as “Educationally- Disadvantaged-States” has not remedied the situation."
Also, Professor Omamurhomu Solomon Okobiah (J.P), in his 2012 research 'The educational imbalance between the northern and southern states of Nigeria: a re-direction of educational policies', retrieved from the National Universities Commission (NUC) website, revealed that the educational imbalance has continued to increase instead of balancing up.
"Inspite of all these [government] policies, the educational imbalance between the north and south has not only continued to exist, but more also the gap continues to increase as registered by the indicators," he wrote.