Pre-degree and diploma programmes in Nigerian universities have been scrapped.
The National Universities Commission (NUC), which took the action,
instructed them to leave the running of such programmes for polytechnics
and concentrate effort on producing human capital in the core
undergraduate, part-time and post-graduate courses.
Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed,
gave this order at meetings held between October 10 and 12 with vice
chancellors of the 143 universities in the country, according to a
statement by the NUC yesterday.
He also directed that the research directorate of NUC be strengthened to
work with those of universities. This is to co-ordinate research
activities in universities and ensure relevance of their outputs. He
said the NUC, would engage a mix of old, experienced and young vibrant
academics to come up with curricula that would not only be dynamic and
responsive to national needs, but also conform to global trends.
The statement continued: “A comprehensive review of the entire
university curricula (the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS))
and ranking of Nigerian universities have also been scheduled for 2017,
while two of the cardinal activities of the commission, accreditation of
programmes and resource verification, will now take place only twice
and thrice a year, respectively: May and November for accreditation as
well as March, July and December for resource verification.”
NUC also warned that any university that failed to present its
programmes for accreditation promptly without satisfactory reasons,
given well in advance, would be denied same and the relevant agencies
(JAMB and NYSC) duly notified.
Guardian
