Illegal admissions, borrowed facilities: FG unveils new tertiary quality checks

For years, Nigeria’s tertiary education system has suffered from inadequate funding and infrastructure, with concerns over illegal admissions, overcrowded programmes, and institutions allegedly using borrowed lecturers, laboratories, and equipment during accreditation exercises, raising doubts about the credibility of quality assurance. Now, the Federal Government is planning to overhaul the system with digital verification, continuous monitoring, and stricter penalties, according to DEBORAH TOLU-KOLAWOLE.

Concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s tertiary education system have grown, stemming from institutions admitting students far beyond approved capacities and allegedly presenting borrowed resources during accreditation. The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, warned of job losses for officials responsible for regulatory violations and potential revocation of licences for private institutions failing to meet standards.

The committee is tasked with reviewing accreditation processes and recommending reforms to make the system more transparent, technology-driven, and resistant to manipulation.

Alausa emphasized that institutions should not prepare temporary pictures of themselves solely for accreditation visits. He cited instances where institutions temporarily moved or borrowed academic staff, laboratory equipment, and other resources to impress accreditation teams. He stressed the need to verify whether the personnel and facilities presented genuinely belonged to the institution and were permanently available to students.

Illegal admissions have emerged as another major concern, with estimates suggesting hundreds of thousands of students admitted outside approved regulatory frameworks. Some institutions admit students far beyond their approved capacities, straining resources and academic staff. For example, a Chemical Engineering programme approved for 100 students reportedly admitted about 1,000 additional students.

Alausa highlighted the impact on employers, who face challenges when hundreds of graduates apply for jobs, but few meet the required standards. He warned that the government is no longer prepared to tolerate practices that undermine the credibility of Nigerian tertiary education, issuing a direct warning to university officials and private institution owners that job losses and licence revocation await non-compliance.