Spread the word
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has pledged to strengthen regulatory compliance, university governance, research, and digital transformation to improve the quality and global competitiveness of Nigeria’s university education.
The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, made the commitment on Tuesday at the opening of the 2026 retreat of the commission with vice-chancellors of all Nigerian universities in Abuja.
Ribadu said the retreat, holding from October 13 to 14 at the Idris Abdulkadir Auditorium, NUC headquarters, provided an opportunity for university leaders and other stakeholders to examine challenges confronting the Nigerian University System (NUS) and develop practical solutions.
He said, “Beyond the provision of conventional academic instruction, a 21st century university system is expected to produce graduates who possess the knowledge, skills, competence, creativity, and capacity to contribute meaningfully to society in this digital era marked by exponential developments in Artificial Intelligence.”
The NUC boss highlighted measures introduced by the commission to improve quality assurance, including new guidelines for honorary doctorate degrees, post-matriculation monitoring, carrying-capacity visits, programme accreditation, and the development of a revised Blueprint 2.0 for the rapid revitalisation of Nigerian university education.
He also disclosed that the commission was developing a 21st-century strategic plan and accreditation software, while promoting research collaboration, commercialisation of research outputs, and the integration of artificial intelligence into the university system through a national AI roadmap and policy framework.
According to him, the commission has deployed the e-NUC platform to automate its operations and is working to strengthen partnerships between universities, industries, government agencies, and development partners to address challenges in agriculture, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, education, and other sectors.
Declaring the retreat open, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said the engagement was timely, considering the rapid changes in higher education driven by artificial intelligence, digital learning, innovation, research, and changing funding models.
She said, “The adoption of artificial intelligence, for example, must be accompanied by attention to academic integrity, ethics, data protection, responsible use, and the development of appropriate institutional policies.”
The minister urged vice-chancellors to uphold transparency, accountability, and due process in university administration, particularly in financial management, procurement, recruitment, admissions, examinations, and staff promotion.
She added that the retreat should produce a communiqué containing agreed policy actions and institutional commitments, backed by a post-retreat monitoring and feedback mechanism.
The retreat, themed “Enhancing Regulatory Compliance, Governance, Leadership, and Partnership in the Nigerian University System,” is expected to strengthen collaboration between the NUC and university managements and generate practical recommendations for improving university education.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and Director of Research, Innovation and Information Technology Transfer at the NUC, L.M. Faruk, said the engagement was designed to promote effective university governance, administration, regulatory compliance, and sustainable development across the Nigerian University System.
Spread the word