— Akpabio warns erring public, private universities
— NUC reform bill scales second reading
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — The Senate has ordered an investigation into the operations and management of Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra State, over allegations of administrative excesses and concerns about its compliance with regulatory requirements of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The Senate, at plenary on Thursday, referred the matter to its Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, directing it to investigate the allegations and report back within two weeks.
The resolution followed a motion by Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central, who raised concerns about the university’s alleged disregard for established regulatory procedures, particularly in the appointment and dismissal of personnel.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, directed the committee to conduct the probe, warning that public and private universities found to have violated the law must be brought to order.
Akpabio stressed the need to strengthen the regulatory authority of the NUC to ensure that universities operate within the law.
He said the National Assembly had an oversight responsibility to support the commission in enforcing standards across the university system.
The Senate President added that where an institution was found to have violated the law, the National Assembly could recommend appropriate action to the President, including the proscription of the university.
The investigation was initiated during consideration of an executive bill seeking to repeal the National Universities Commission Act, Cap N81, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and enact a new legal framework for regulating university education.
The bill, titled National Universities Commission Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026 (SB. 1056), scaled second reading and was also referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund for further legislative work, with a two-week reporting deadline.
Sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central, the executive bill was read by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno.
The proposed legislation seeks to strengthen the NUC’s enforcement powers, update minimum academic standards, improve accreditation processes and ensure that Nigerian universities meet global best practices.
It also proposes sanctions for regulatory violations and seeks to reinforce the commission’s role as the apex body responsible for accrediting academic programmes.
Leading the debate on the bill, Monguno said the existing law had become outdated amid major changes in the higher education sector, including the growth of private universities, transnational education, technological advancement and the globalisation of education.
He said the proposed law would provide a modern and comprehensive framework to enable the NUC to regulate the university system more effectively and improve quality assurance.
According to him, the bill seeks to strengthen the commission’s regulatory powers, establish clearer sanctions for violations, update accreditation and monitoring mechanisms, and promote research and innovation.
Monguno said the proposed reforms would also seek to balance regulatory oversight with institutional autonomy, modernise the commission’s governance structure, incorporate digital tools to improve transparency and provide a framework for international partnerships.
The bill further proposes measures to address funding and sustainability challenges in the university system.
Monguno said the reforms were necessary to reposition the NUC as a catalyst for innovation and quality university education, adding that the proposed legislation was intended to help build a resilient and globally competitive higher education system.
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