The National Universities Commission (NUC) and professional bodies are in a tussle over who should control accreditation of university courses, a dispute experts say is pushing up the cost of education in Nigeria.
While the NUC is the primary regulator of universities, several professional bodies also run separate accreditation for specific courses. This overlap has led to what experts call “regulatory dissonance,” with universities forced to undergo multiple, sometimes contradictory, processes.
Professor Jubril Ahmed, a biochemist, said the lack of synergy between the NUC and professional regulators is causing systemic challenges in the education sector. Ahmed expressed worry at the implications of the duplication, which he said could result in confusion and make universities incur needless costs.
Experts have warned that without better coordination, Nigerian universities will continue to face unnecessary financial and administrative burdens, undermining efforts to deliver quality education.
