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Tag: The National Universities Commission (NUC)

  • List of 147 Private Universities in Nigeria

    By Milcah Tanimu

    Data from the National Universities Commission (NUC) reveals that there are currently 147 private universities in Nigeria. These institutions are spread across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The demand for quality university education, driven by issues such as industrial crises and poor funding in public tertiary education, has contributed to the growth of private universities in the country.

    Here are some of the private universities in Nigeria:

    1. Babcock University, Ogun State
    2. Madonna University, Anambra State
    3. Igbinedion University, Edo State
    4. Bowen University, Osun State
    5. Benson Idahosa University, Edo state
    6. Covenant University, Ogun state
    7. Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos State
    8. American University of Nigeria, Adamawa State
    9. Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State
    10. Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State
    11. AI-Qalam University, Katsina, Katsina State
    12. Bells University of Technology, Otta, Ogun State
    13. Bingham University, New-Karu, Nasarawa State
    14. Caritas University, Enugu, Enugu State
    15. Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State
    16. Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State
    17. Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State
    18. Kwararafa University, Wukari, Taraba State
    19. Redeemer’s University, Mowe, Ogun State
    20. Renaissance University, Enugu, Enugu State
    21. University of Mkar, Mkar, Benue State
    22. Novena University, Ogume, Delta State
    23. Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State
    24. Veritas University, Abuja, FCT
    25. Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State
    26. African University of Science & Technology, Abuja
    27. Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State
    28. Fountain University, Oshogbo, Osun State
    29. Obong University, Obong Ntak, Akwa Ibom State
    30. Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra State
    31. Wesley University of Science & Technology, Ondo State
    32. Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State
    33. Salem University, Lokoja, Kogi State
    34. Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti – Ekiti State
    35. Godfrey Okoye University, Ugwuomu-Nike, Enugu State
    36. Nigerian-Turkish Nile University, FCT Abuja
    37. Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State
    38. Paul University, Awka, Anambra State
    39. Rhema University, Obama-Asa, Rivers State
    40. Wellspring University, Evbuobanosa, Edo State

    … and many more.

    These private universities have been approved by the NUC to provide tertiary education in Nigeria, offering a variety of courses and programs across different disciplines.

  • NUC Rejects NBTE’s Program to Upgrade HND to BSc Status

    NUC Rejects NBTE’s Program to Upgrade HND to BSc Status

    By Daniel Edu

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) has officially disassociated itself from the recent initiative by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to introduce a one-year top-up program aimed at elevating the status of Higher National Diploma (HND) holders to the level of a Bachelor’s degree.

    Acting Executive Secretary of the NUC, Chris Maiyaki, released a statement in Abuja on Saturday, clarifying the NUC’s position on the matter. This move follows years of ongoing discussions and calls from stakeholders to eliminate the disparity between HNDs awarded by polytechnics and Bachelor’s degrees conferred by universities.

    In 2021, a bill was presented in the ninth National Assembly to address this issue, but it was not signed into law by the previous administration.

    The NBTE, which oversees technical and vocational education, unveiled a program intended to provide a pathway for HND holders to upgrade their qualifications to a Bachelor’s degree. However, the NUC has made it clear that it does not endorse this initiative.

    Maiyaki emphasized that, as of now, there is no law that has eliminated the distinction between a university degree and an HND in Nigeria. He pointed out that technical education, both in Nigeria and worldwide, has its unique place, and the processes and requirements for acquiring a university degree significantly differ from those for HND programs.

    Maiyaki also noted that, at the postgraduate level, HND holders are required to obtain a relevant postgraduate diploma (PGD) from a recognized university as one of the admission criteria for master’s degree programs.

    The NUC has urged the public and relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to be aware that it does not support or endorse the so-called top-up scheme introduced by the NBTE. The NUC emphasized that the NBTE should focus on its core mandate and refrain from introducing programs that fall outside its jurisdiction and lack legal support in Nigeria.

    Maiyaki further clarified that the “Bill for an Act to abolish and prohibit dichotomy and discrimination between First Degree and Higher National Diploma in the same Profession/Field for the Purpose of Employment, and for Related Matters” passed by the 9th National Assembly in 2021 has not been assented to by the President of Nigeria. Consequently, the dichotomy between a university degree and an HND remains, and there is currently no legal framework in place to change this situation.

    Maiyaki also highlighted that the NUC is the constitutionally authorized agency for regulating university education in Nigeria, including setting academic standards and accrediting programs, and as such, it is the sole regulatory authority in this domain.

    He further stressed that, in most higher education systems, polytechnics and universities coexist alongside each other, each serving its unique role in producing qualified human resources based on their distinct missions and objectives.