NUC Scraps Pre-Degrees, Diplomas in Universities

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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.
“The accreditation of part-time
programmes would ensure that they
are of the same quality as the full-time
programmes, thereby restoring public
confidence in them,” it said.
Rasheed urged universities to identify
their areas of strength to mount joint
Ph.D. programmes in view of
increasing cost of training overseas.
He enjoined the vice chancellors to be
creative and innovative enough to
come up with new courses and
programmes that would address
emerging societal challenges.
He expressed NUC’s readiness to work
with them to develop the BMAS for
such new programmes.

©The GUARDIAN