NUC Scraps Sub-Degree Diploma Programmes, To Review University Curriculum

The National Universities Commission, NUC, has scrapped sub-degree diploma programmes in the country’s university system, its Executive Secretary, Abubakar Adamu, said on Monday. Mr. Adamu said universities currently running the programmes have been directed to begin to wind down immediately. The NUC scribe, who was speaking at the end of a meeting with vice chancellors of federal, state and private universities, also
disclosed the plan for a comprehensive review of the university curricula to set the benchmark minimum academic standards. Besides, he said, a new ranking of Nigerian universities would be released next year, while accreditation of programmes would be conducted in May and November, and resource verification in March, July and December every year. The meeting also resolved to restart institutional accreditation of part-time programmes and resumption of the Nigerian University System Annual Review Meeting (USARM) as well as consider accreditation of academic programmes by professional bodies. Equally, shortfalls in personnel emoluments and incorporation of universities into the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information Systems (IPPIS) and matters arising from the 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) were discussed, he said.
Apart from governance structure and university education component of the Ministerial Action Plan, the meeting urged all universities to develop and implement an institutional research policy and a research administration directorate to co- ordinate research activities in universities. An appropriate human and material resources are to be provided to run an Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer (OIPTT) or Office of Technology Commercialization and Industry Relations (OTCIR).