VCs face sanctions as Reps probe admissions into unaccredited courses

Vice chancellors of Nigerian universities found to have admitted students into courses that fail the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) accreditation are to be severely sanctioned by the commission, according to a resolution of the House of Representatives. The lawmakers’ resolutions frowned at the culture of some Nigerian universities hiring lecturers for the purpose of NUC […]

Vice chancellors of Nigerian universities found to have admitted students into courses that fail the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) accreditation are to be severely sanctioned by the commission, according to a resolution of the House of Representatives.

The lawmakers’ resolutions frowned at the culture of some Nigerian universities hiring lecturers for the purpose of NUC accreditation and firing them afterwards, and ordered an investigation into such scenarios.
Consequently, the House said its committee on tertiary education and services is to “undertake an inventory of all universities to ascertain approved/accredited and non-accredited courses” in the universities.
These resolutions followed a motion by Rep Samuel Ifeanyi Onuigbo (PDP, Abia), who informed the House that students are “blazingly” being admitted into universities to spend years on courses that have not been approved by the NUC.
“Many students who were admitted to study those unaccredited courses were obviously misled by having seen the courses advertised in the brochure of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), only for them to be disappointed at the point of graduation.
“This unwholesome practice has kept several prospective graduates without degrees, thus leading to depression and bleak future,” he said.
Rep Onuigbo, while buttressing the situation, told the House that as many as 104 courses have not been accredited by NUC, out of all the courses being offered by the 140 federal, states and private universities in the country.
This practice, he said, is capable of worsening “the already explosive youth unemployment by adding a large pool of unemployable and frustrated class of young people, which is a sure recipe for youth restiveness and anomie.”
Many lawmakers, including former academics, who spoke in favor of the motion, rolled out the process of courses accreditation by NUC, which they said, has been a continuous exercise by the commission.
The House, upon passing the resolutions, equally tasked the committee to find out why such number of courses has not been accredited and proffer ways to rescue the victim students that “wasted precious time and scarce funds.”