Accreditation: ASUU kicks against ministerial committee

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has protested against the formation of a ministerial committee aimed at strengthening accreditation and quality assurance systems for tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The union's president, Prof Chris Piwuna, urged the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, to dissolve the committee, arguing that it could undermine the National Universities Commission's (NUC) regulatory powers.

Piwuna acknowledged the need for greater scrutiny of accreditation exercises but maintained that the responsibility for university accreditation rested with the NUC, not the Ministry of Education. The committee, chaired by former Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Registrar, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, is expected to review existing accreditation policies and recommend measures to modernize the system.