DEGREE

ACCREDITATION

IN NIGERIAN

UNIVERSITIES

ACCREDITATION

OF DEGREE

PROGRAMMES(1990 – 2014)

The National Universities Commission (NUC) is a

parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Education charged

with the responsibilities of orderly development of

Universities in Nigeria.

The Department of Quality Assurance (DQA) of NUC is

saddled, among others, with the responsibility of

“Coordination of accreditation visits to academic

programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate

levels”.

This presentation is an analysis of “RESULTS OF

ACCREDITATION OF UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC

PROGRAMMES TAUGHT IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

(1990 - 2014)” as published on NUC Website

The accreditation of degree and other academic programmes

by the NUC means a system for recognizing educational

institutions (Universities and programmes offered in these

institutions) for a level of performance, integrity and quality

which entitles them to the confidence of the educational

community, the public they serve and employers of labour.

DEFINITION & OBJECTIVES OF ACCREDITATION

The objectives of accreditation of academic programmes in

Nigerian Universities are to:

a) Ensure that at least the provisions of the Minimum Academic

Standards document are attained, maintained and enhanced;

b) Assure employers and other members of the community that

Nigerian graduates of all academic programmes have attained an

acceptable level of competency in their areas of specialization; and

c) Certify to the international community that the programmes

offered in Nigerian Universities are of high standards and their

graduates are adequate for employment and for further studies.

DEFINITION

OBJECTIVES

STATUS OF ACCREDITATIONThe status of Accreditation are as follows:

I. FULL ACCREDITATION

This shall be granted to any degree or other academic programme that

has satisfied the Minimum Academic Standards (MACS). Full Accreditation

shall be granted for a period of six (6) academic sessions with a mid-term

appraisal after three years. After the six academic sessions, there shall be a

Re-accreditation visit.

II. INTERIM ACCREDITATION

This shall be granted to any degree or other academic programme that

has minor deficiencies that must be rectified within a stipulated period.

Interim Accreditation shall be granted for a period of not more than two

(2) academic sessions.

III. DENIED ACCREDITATION

Denied Accreditation shall apply to any degree or other academic

programme which has failed to satisfy the approved Minimum Academic

Standards (MACS). Request for Re-visitation for the purpose of

Accreditation shall come from the University concerned.

IMPLICATIONS OF ACCREDITATION STATUS a) When an Academic Programme is denied Accreditation, the Commission shall inform

in writing the Vice-Chancellor of the University concerned stating the reasons for

denying the programme Accreditation and the steps to be taken to bring the

programme up to the Minimum Academic Standards required for Accreditation.

b) When this decision is communicated, the University shall cease to admit students

into such a programme with effect from the next admission exercise. The proprietors

shall also be advised to stop funding the programme.

c) The Commission shall also inform the general public and such relevant bodies as

Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, National Youth Service Corps, Civil Service

Commission, Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA), relevant

professional regulatory body, Nigerian Students Loans Board, Nationals Directorate

of Employment (NDE), and the various Federal and States Scholarship Boards about

the denied Accreditation.

d) Programmes granted Interim Accreditation which fail to rectify the identified

decencies within he stipulated maximum period of two academic sessions shall

automatically convert to the status of Denied Accreditation at the end of the period.

e) During the period of Interim Accreditation, Universities may continue to admit

students into the programme(s) affected.

f) Any student that graduates within 2 yeas after the programme would have been

granted Interim or Denied Accreditation, should not be denied recognition of his/her

certificate.

DEGREE PROGRAMME ACCREDITATION CRITERIA

1.

PHILOSOPHY AND

OBJECTIVES OF THE

PROGRAMME TO BE

ACCREDITED

2.

CURRICULUM

3.

TEACHING STAFF

QUANTITY AND

QUALITY

4.

STUDENTS

ADMISSION,

RETENTION AND

GRADUATION

5.

STANDARDS OF

DEGREE

EXAMINATION

6.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

7.

PHYSICAL FACILITIES

8.

ADMINISTRATION

OF DEPARTMENT

9.

EMPLOYERS’ RATING

OF GRADUATES

REQUEST FOR RE-VISITATIONI. A PROGRAMME DENIED ACCREDITATION

A programme which is denied accreditation on first visitation shall be

subjected to a full accreditation visitation whenever the University

concerned considers the Programme ready for accreditation. The request

for Re-Visitation shall come from the University concerned. The University

will therefore be requested to complete the Self-Study Form (NUC/SSF).

II. A PROGRAMME GRANTED INTERIM ACCREDITATION

A University which wishes a programme already granted Interim

Accreditation Re-visited within the stipulated period shall inform the

Commission in writing. Upon receipt of such a request, the Commission

shall send the Accreditation Re-Visitation Form (NUC/ARVF) to the

University for completion.

The purpose of the Re-Visitation exercise is to ascertain if the minor

deficiencies identified in an earlier visitation had been rectified and if other

criteria for accreditation found to have been met during an earlier visit are

still being maintained or improved upon to enhance the quality of the

programme.

ANALYSIS OF

ACCREDITATION

RESULTS

SUMMARY OF ACCREDITATION (1990 – 2014)

YEAR FULL INTERIM DENIED TOTAL % FULL % INTERIM % DENIED

1990 173 527 70 770 22.47 68.44 9.09

1999/2000 157 1023 13 1193 13.16 85.75 1.09

2002 42 150 22 214 19.63 70.09 10.28

2005 651 821 113 1585 41.07 51.80 7.13

2006 192 153 11 356 53.93 42.98 3.09

2007 845 337 35 1217 69.43 27.69 2.88

2008 179 143 15 337 53.12 42.43 4.45

2009 236 238 38 512 46.09 46.48 7.42

2010 32 33 7 72 44.44 45.83 9.72

2011 71 39 110 64.55 35.45 0.00

2012 698 373 87 1158 60.28 32.21 7.51

2013 191 171 13 375 50.93 45.60 3.47

2014 705 462 53 1220 57.79 37.87 4.34

2015 23 38 2 63 36.51 60.32 3.17

SUMMARY OF ACCREDITATION

YEAR FULL INTERIM DENIED TOTAL % FULL % INTERIM % DENIED

1990 143 394 48 585 24.44 67.35 8.21

1999/2000 136 701 7 844 16.11 83.06 0.83

2002 33 92 5 130 25.38 70.77 3.85

2005 462 372 50 884 52.26 42.08 5.66

2006 133 88 7 228 58.33 38.6 3.07

2007 375 94 13 482 77.8 19.5 2.7

2008 65 46 11 122 53.28 37.7 9.02

2009 79 37 14 130 60.77 28.46 10.77

2010 5 1 6 83.33 0 16.67

2011 17 5 22 77.27 22.73 0

2012 140 61 10 211 66.35 28.91 4.74

2013 5 3 8 62.5 37.5 0

2014 578 402 51 1031 56.06 38.99 4.95

2015 3 20 23 13.04 86.96 0

FEDERAL

SUMMARY OF ACCREDITATION

YEAR FULL INTERIM DENIED TOTAL % FULL % INTERIM % DENIED

1990 30 133 22 185 16.22 71.89 11.89

1999/2000 21 322 6 349 6.02 92.26 1.72

2002 9 55 17 81 11.11 67.9 20.99

2005 178 395 63 636 27.99 62.11 9.91

2006 35 51 3 89 39.33 57.3 3.37

2007 384 155 12 551 69.69 28.13 2.18

2008 88 59 2 149 59.06 39.6 1.34

2009 93 106 8 207 44.93 51.21 3.86

2010 19 21 2 42 45.24 50 4.76

2011 45 11 56 80.36 19.64 0

2012 355 218 62 635 55.91 34.33 9.76

2013 108 103 11 222 48.65 46.4 4.95

2014 85 32 1 118 72.03 27.12 0.85

2015

STATE

SUMMARY OF ACCREDITATION

YEAR FULL INTERIM DENIED TOTAL % FULL % INTERIM % DENIED

1990

1999/2000

2002 3 3 0 100 0

2005 11 54 65 16.92 83.08 0

2006 24 14 1 39 61.54 35.9 2.56

2007 86 88 10 184 46.74 47.83 5.43

2008 26 38 2 66 39.39 57.58 3.03

2009 64 95 16 175 36.57 54.29 9.14

2010 8 12 4 24 33.33 50 16.67

2011 9 23 32 28.13 71.88 0

2012 203 93 16 312 65.06 29.81 5.13

2013 78 65 2 145 53.79 44.83 1.38

2014 42 28 1 71 59.15 39.44 1.41

2015 20 18 2 40 50 45 5

PRIVATE

1. In 1990, Nigeria had just about 30 Universities comprising of

22 Federal and 8 State Universities;

2. A total of 103 Universities were listed in the Accreditation

result of 1990 - 2014;

3. 27 Universities – Federal, 34 Universities – State, 42

Universities – Private;

4. There are over 500 unique courses in Nigerian Universities;

5. About 50% of all Courses received INTERIM accreditation,

45% FULL and 5% DENIED accreditation;

6. FULL Accreditation across Universities; Federal – 52%, State

– 44%, Private – 41%;

7. INTERIM Accreditation across Universities; Federal – 43%,

State – 50%, Private – 55%;

8. DENIED Accreditation across Universities; Federal – 5%,

State – 6%, Private – 4%.

SUMMARY OF ACCREDITATION (1990 – 2014)

Reference –

Accreditation Results (1990-April 2015) - NUC(May, 2015)

1

Manual of Accreditation Procedures - NUC(March, 2012)

2

Analysis by: Wale Micaiah

e: walegate@yahoo.com

m: 08078001800

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