The National Universities Commission (NUC) has reaffirmed that Nigerian universities must score at least 70% in four core areas: Academic Matters, Staffing, Physical Facilities, and Library, before earning full accreditation for any academic programme.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, emphasized that the accreditation process is a rigorous quality assurance measure aimed at maintaining high academic standards in the country’s tertiary institutions.
According to Ribadu, the programme accreditation instrument contains seven sections, with the four mentioned areas considered core. He explained that a minimum of 70% must be attained in each of these four areas, alongside an overall programme score of 70% or more, to achieve full accreditation status.
“Earning full accreditation does not suggest that a programme has all resources in perfect measure,” he clarified. “Rather, it reflects an acceptable standard of performance, with room for further improvement.”
Ribadu described the NUC’s regulatory framework as one of Africa’s most robust, citing interest from countries like Namibia, Gambia, and Niger Republic, which have come to study the Commission’s best practices. He also noted that foreign universities often use NUC accreditation results to assess admission applications from Nigerian students.
Responding to a recent viral social media post by one Taofik Olatubonsun, which alleged that NUC’s accreditation exercise was merely symbolic, Ribadu dismissed the claim as “false, baseless, and uninformed.” He reiterated that the Commission adopts a peer-review approach, employing independent panels of subject-expert professors to conduct evaluations.
“Once reports are submitted, the Commission conducts a thorough internal review and ratification process to verify compliance with established guidelines,” he said. “NUC officials defend these findings before the Commission’s Management Committee to uphold credibility and transparency.”
Ribadu stressed that the Commission remains committed to ensuring that Nigerian universities produce graduates who are globally competitive. He urged the public to rely on verified information and avoid being misled by false narratives that could damage the reputation of the nation’s higher education system.
