Conflicting regulatory demands from the National Universities Commission and professional regulatory bodies are imposing high and avoidable costs on Nigerian universities and students. This was disclosed by Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Chairman of the NUC board, during the 16th convocation lecture of Osun State University. Ogundipe stated that overlapping regulatory responsibilities have become a major challenge to the effective administration of university education in Nigeria.
The NUC operates alongside several professional regulatory bodies, including the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, and the Council of Legal Education. These bodies operate under separate laws, accreditation requirements, and professional standards, sometimes resulting in conflicting directives to universities. Ogundipe stressed that the solution is not to weaken regulation but to make it more coherent, predictable, and transparent.
Ogundipe identified six major areas of friction between the NUC and professional bodies, including curriculum ownership, accreditation timelines and costs, and differences between minimum university standards and professional standards. He also highlighted inadequate data as a major weakness in the regulatory system, warning that poor coordination among regulators could affect institutional planning, academic staffing, and public confidence in the university system.
The NUC board chairman faulted attempts by professional bodies to determine qualifications for academic positions in tertiary institutions. He argued that the university system must retain responsibility for academic appointments, while professional councils focus on standards within their respective professions. Ogundipe also emphasized the need to address the gap between Nigeria's population and the number of universities providing access to tertiary education.
To resolve the challenges, Ogundipe proposed a five-pillar framework comprising clear legislative and policy boundaries between regulators, a permanent national consultative mechanism, and harmonized accreditation procedures. He also called for a national task group, unified regulatory matrices, and coordinated accreditation pilots as part of measures to implement the proposed reforms.
The vice-chancellor of Osun State University, Prof. Odunayo Adebooye, reported significant growth in the university's academic programs, research activities, and postgraduate education. He disclosed that the university has increased its undergraduate academic programs from 66 in 2022 to 128 and its postgraduate programs from 99 to 299 within the same period.
Ogundipe disclosed that the NUC would require universities to update their institutional data yearly as part of efforts to tackle the problem of academic staff working simultaneously in multiple institutions. He urged universities to take greater responsibility for maintaining academic standards and advised graduating students to familiarize themselves with regulatory requirements governing their professions.
Key points
- Conflicting regulations from NUC and professional bodies are driving up costs in Nigerian universities.
- Ogundipe proposes a five-pillar framework to resolve regulatory challenges.
- Osun State University reports significant growth in academic programs and research activities.
