THE executive secretary, National Universities Commission, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, has expressed concerns over the quality of programmes run by affiliate institutions in Nigeria.
He insisted that for effective delivery of quality university education, there must be synergy between parent universities and their affiliate institutions with all standards maintained.
Rasheed made the remarks in an address at a one-day interactive meeting with vice chancellors of parent universities and provosts/rectors of as well as directors of affiliate institutions in Nigerian University System (NUS), held at the commission’s headquarters Abuja.
Represented by the Director, Finance and Accounts, Mr. Sam Onazi, Professor Rasheed said that since 1983 with the affiliation of the College of Education Kano to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the commission had been fostering affiliations in the NUS as an important strategy towards expanding access to university education.
But he noted that despite the growing number of affiliate institutions, questions had been raised by stakeholders on the quality of degree programmes run by the institutions due to lack of supervision or poor supervision.
According to the NUC Weekly Bulletin obtained in Abuja, Rasheed reported that as part of efforts towards expanding access to university education, the commission conducted a survey of all affiliate institutions in the NUS in 2008.
At the end of the exercise, a total of 53 institutions that were granted approval for affiliations were identified and in order to effectively assess the requests for approval from institutions, the commission in 2009, developed a set of guidelines on affiliations.
He added that from 2008 to January 2019, the commission has granted approval to 112 affiliate institutions. These include 60 colleges of education, 52 faith-based institutions, polytechnics and monotechnics.
In furtherance to the commitment towards enhancing quality in affiliate programmes, he said the commission conducted another inspection and monitoring exercise in 2018/2019.
He expressed optimism that the forum would provide seamless opportunity for participants to rub minds on those issues that need to be addressed for the purpose of finding lasting solutions.
Welcoming participants earlier, the acting director, Inspection and Monitoring, Mrs. Agnes Bamgbala, said that the forum was an opportunity for both parent universities and their affiliate institutions to interact and proffer ways of strengthening relationships towards development of university education.
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