NUC to Professional Bodies: Let’s Set Admission Quotas Together

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has called on professional bodies in Nigeria to work with it when setting admission quotas for university programmes.

The NUC made this statement during a recent meeting organised by the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN). The agency said it has the legal right to give quotas and accredit programmes in Nigerian universities, not professional bodies. The NUC’s warning came after over 300 dental students at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) were caught in a crisis. They have spent over six years in school because the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) said the university admitted more students than allowed.

However, NUC officials said UNICAL did not break any official rules. The commission asked professional bodies like MDCN, ICAN, COREN, and others to cooperate instead of acting alone on such sensitive matters that affect students’ futures.