Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has called for a complete restructuring of the country’s accreditation process for tertiary institutions, describing the current system as “fragmented, costly, and counterproductive.”
Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting with professional regulatory bodies in Abuja, Dr. Alausa criticized the proliferation of separate accreditation exercises by over 25 professional bodies.
According to a press statement signed by the Ministry’s Director, Press & Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, these bodies, often demand stipends and logistical fees from institutions already grappling with limited resources.
The minister stated that accreditation should not be a business, urging a centralized process under the National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure quality without unnecessary financial strain.
Supporting the call, Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said the overlapping exercises were not only burdensome but also encouraged “artificial compliance,” rather than genuine improvements in academic standards.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Abel Enitan, pledged the Ministry’s full commitment to implementing collaborative reforms.
Key stakeholders, including NUC Executive Secretary Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu and JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, acknowledged the inconsistencies between academic and professional requirements. Oloyede decried the exploitation of existing legislative gaps, urging for rational and unified procedures.
The meeting concluded with major resolutions: accreditation will henceforth be jointly conducted by the NUC and relevant professional bodies, last for five years, and be completed within two to three days.
Professional bodies are now required to self-fund their activities without charging institutions and the reforms will be enforced across all tertiary institutions in the country.
