In spite of the current Academic Staff Union of Institutions strike, The Punch investigation has shown that the accreditation of no less than 159 undergraduate courses at nine federal universities throughout the nation is set to expire in 2022.
The nine institutions of higher learning are the University of Ilorin, the University of Jos, Plateau, the University of Calabar, Bayero University Kano, the University of Benin, Edo, the University of Lagos, the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and the University of Ibadan.
According to a document obtained from the NUC detailing the certification outcomes for the institutions from 1990–2021, all 159 courses received full accreditation from the NUC in 2017.
For instance, the Department of Information and Communication Sciences at the University of Ilorin received accreditation in 2017 and has a 2022 expiration date, making it the sole course with an expiration date.
According to a source, the Federal Government’s National Universities Body is in charge of accrediting degree programmes at Nigerian universities. The commission is authorised by law to establish minimum academic requirements for universities and certify their degree programmes.
As a result, basic academic criteria for the 13 disciplines taught in Nigerian institutions were developed in 1989 with the help of experts.
Administration, Agriculture, Arts, Basic Medical Sciences, Education, Engineering and Technology, Environmental Sciences, Law, Medicine and Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sciences, Social Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine make up the list of fields.
According to the NUC statistics, only the pharmacy program’s accreditation for the University of Ibadan expires in 2022.
At the University of Jos, 20 courses’ accreditation is due to expire, while at the Obafemi Awolowo University, 31 courses, including public administration, French, German, history, linguistics, Yoruba, and medical rehabilitation, will be impacted.
Others include Ahmadu Bello University (15), University of Calabar (15), Bayero University Kano (14), University of Benin (27) and University of Lagos (27) (23).