- The National Universities Commission (NUC) issued a permanent operational licence to Cosmopolitan University, Abuja, after a three-year probationary review
- NUC executive secretary Abdullahi Ribadu warned that not all universities examined during the probation period met the required standards
- Cosmopolitan University vice-chancellor Carl Adams called the development momentous and linked the institution's approach to best practices from the UK and Nigeria
Abuja, FCT - The National Universities Commission (NUC) has charged the management of Cosmopolitan University, Abuja, with upholding academic standards now that the institution holds a permanent operational licence.
NUC Executive Secretary Abdullahi Ribadu made the charge on Thursday, October 15, at the commission's headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, where he formally presented the licence to the university's leadership.
Source: UGC
Ribadu said the commission monitored and evaluated the university closely throughout its three-year probationary period before deciding to award the permanent licence. He compared the process to a formal examination, noting that the outcome was never guaranteed.
"A committee went to verify your processes, your students, your staff and everything. The idea was either to recommend a full licence for you or withdraw the existing one because something has to happen after three years," he said.
He added that some universities which fell short of the required benchmarks during the same review period did not receive a permanent licence outright. Instead, the commission granted those institutions a one-year extension to address identified gaps.
NUC Calls for No Compromise on Quality
With the probationary phase now closed, Ribadu urged Cosmopolitan University not to treat the licence as an endpoint but as a foundation for continued growth. He specifically called on the management to avoid cutting corners on staff recruitment and student intake.
"You now have to build on the structures that you have started, which means in terms of quality, you should not compromise in terms of recruitment of staff, and number of students. As a private university, you should have a benchmark, you should have standard," he said.
Cosmopolitan University first received an operational licence on May 15, 2023, under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, which reportedly approved licences for 37 private universities at the time.
Vice-Chancellor Welcomes the Development
Vice-Chancellor Carl Adams described the occasion as a defining moment for the institution, saying it confirmed that the university's internal processes met national expectations.
"This is a recognition of the quality processes and transparency processes that we have put in place to develop quality education for our students," Adams said in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Friday, October 16
He described the permanent licence as confirmation that the university was heading in the right direction and drawing on global educational models in building its academic culture.
"We build on the best practices in the UK, in the states and of course in Nigeria," Adams added.
NUC Sanctions 2 Nigerian Universities, Gives Reason
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the NUC sanctioned two Nigerian universities for seriously violating its rules on awarding honorary doctorate degrees.
The commission's executive secretary, Ribadu, disclosed this at the 2026 NUC retreat for vice-chancellors, a two-day gathering themed "Enhancing Regulatory Compliance, Governance, Leadership, and Partnership in the Nigerian University System."
He did not name the two institutions.
Source: Legit.ng