• Wednesday, December 25, 2024
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Outdated laws, funding constraints, ICT gaps hampering NUC growth says Maiyaki

Outdated laws, funding constraints, ICT gaps hampering NUC growth says Maiyaki

Chris Maiyaki, Former Acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) has highlighted several critical challenges undermining the Commission’s ability to fully achieve its mandate of advancing university education in Nigeria.

Speaking at the formal handover ceremony to Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, the new substantive Executive Secretary on Monday, Maiyaki underscored issues such as inadequate funding, outdated regulatory laws, limited integration of information and communication technology (ICT) and weak governance as key hurdles facing the Commission.

He lamented that funding constraints has consistently hindered the NUC’s capacity to implement transformative initiatives and sustain quality assurance processes. According to him, this funding gap affects the Commission’s ability to regulate effectively and expand access.

Maiyaki also noted that many of the laws governing the NUC are outdated and have not kept pace with the evolving higher education landscape.

“These obsolete laws limit the Commission’s ability to adapt to new trends and to control the proliferation of illegal or unauthorized degree-awarding institutions,” he stated, adding that the lack of legal reforms has further weakened the NUC’s regulatory oversight.

Inadequate ICT penetration was another area of concern raised by the acting secretary. Despite the growing reliance on digital technologies in global education, he noted that the Nigerian university system is still lagging in integrating ICT into its academic processes.

The acting executive secretary further identified governance issues, disruptions caused by frequent industrial actions, and insufficient capacity-building programs for both academic and non-teaching staff as additional challenges stalling the growth of the Commission and the wider Nigerian university system.

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Despite these challenges, he acknowledged the progress made under his leadership during the transitional period. These among his lists include the activation and implementation of core curriculum and minimum academic standards (CCMAS), approval of new universities, and improvements in quality assurance with 87% of accredited programs achieving full accreditation status.

He also called for a concerted effort to address the highlighted issues through legal reforms, enhanced funding, and strategic integration of ICT to reposition the Nigerian university system for global competitiveness expressing confidence in the incoming Executive Secretary’s ability to tackle these challenges.

In response, Abdullahi Ribadu, the new Executive Secretary, emphasized that the NUC must introspect to assess its relevance in overseeing Nigeria’s universities.

This, he said, involves evaluating the Commission’s internal processes and structures to ensure they align with the changing needs of the education sector.

He stressed the importance of self-reflection and adaptability in maintaining the NUC’s effectiveness as a regulatory body, adding that this will enable the Commission to identify areas for improvement, update its policies and procedures, and ultimately enhance its relevance in the education sector.

“We will revisit the laws that govern our Commission and its interactions with other stakeholders to identify areas of improvement to strengthen and reposition it for better service delivery,” he said.

Ribadu also pledged to increase access to university education, noting that access had been a challenge, as two million candidates registered for JAMB but only 500,000 were admitted into tertiary institutions.

“Access to university education still remains a challenge. About 2 million candidates sit for the JAMB examinations annually, but only about half a million are admitted.

“Not all those who sit for the exams will have passed. Assuming a pass rate of 50 per cent, we say about 1 million candidates are qualified.

“But out of that number, only about half a million are admitted into universities. Of course, a small percentage go to polytechnics and colleges of education. So, there is still a gap in the admission of candidates.

“We hope to increase access by expanding existing infrastructure and resources in public universities, e- and distance education, as well as private sector growth, enhancing funding, and external support channels,” he added.

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