Why we approved conversion of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic to varsity —NUC

THE National Universities Commission has explained that the Ogun State government followed due process and met all the commission’s conditions for the conversion of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic to Moshood Abiola University of Technology, Abeokuta.

It said it is not within its powers to stop any state government from establishing a university, since education is on the Concurrent Legislative List.

The director, Corporate Affairs Services of NUC, Mallam Ibrahim Yakasai, made the clarification to Tribune Education in an interview in Abuja, following the Monday presentation of letter of recognition of the Moshood Abiola University of Technology to the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Yakasai noted that since education is on the concurrent list, both the federal and state governments could establish any institution of their choice provided the right infrastructure and manpower are in place.

He said the responsibility of the commission in this regard was to ensure quality assurance in terms of making sure that the requisite manpower and physical infrastructure were in place before any course or programme is run in the institution.

He said: “Education is on the Concurrent List. Federal, state and local governments have a right, constitutionally, to establish any institution from primary, secondary to tertiary institution. So, it is within their power to establish a university, once they get an Act of Parliament.

“In the case of states, they take a bill to their state assembly and it’s passed into law. NUC comes in to quality-assure their programmes, making sure that they have the requisite infrastructure and manpower to take off. We cannot stop any state from having a university.

“We can, however, deny any university from starting any course or programme if we are not satisfied that they have the requisite manpower and physical infrastructure for effective teaching and learning.

“In the case of Ogun, the state government has followed due process in the conversion of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic to Moshood Abiola University of Technology. They have gone to the State Assembly; they have gotten the Act of Parliament, which they presented to us.

“They have done the physical master plan, indicating the physical infrastructure at the university, and we are satisfied with that. They also presented to us the Academic Brief, which contains the courses that they are going to do, in which year and how they will start.

“So, they have satisfied all our conditions for us to recognise the university as created by the state government,” he said.

Yakasai further explained that resource verification, as is done in the case of private university, is not needed before recognising a state university as created by the law of the state concerned. He added, however, that the commission goes to look at what is on ground at the university before the institution starts any programme.

The NUC executive secretary, Professor Abubukar Rasheed, had on Monday presented the letter of recognition for the upgrade of the polytechnic to degree-awarding institution to the Visitor and Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, in Abuja.

With this approval, Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology becomes the 85th public university and 153rd university in Nigeria.

Amosun noted that a technical committee led by the former executive secretary of NUC, Professor Peter Okebukola, including the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, was put in place in ensuring that the university becomes a reference point in the country.

He formally presented the university documents, the gazetted University Law, Academic Brief and Physical Master Plan to the NUC executive secretary, while also commending him for approving the university.

He said: “We will not let them down. All what they have seen in our application that they gave us this approval, they will be proud that the university will be a reference point.

“People will come and see and ask others to come and see what we are doing in Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology. All of those courses for which people have to travel to the United Kingdom, Canada, among others, will be offered in Moshood  Abiola University.