The Federal Government has called for stronger measures to tackle illegal admissions and other weaknesses in the regulatory system of Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, made the call in Abuja while inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Strengthening the Accreditation and Quality Assurance System for Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria.
Alausa also moved to end the practice of institutions temporarily borrowing academic staff, equipment and facilities to meet accreditation requirements.
He said accreditation must reflect the actual and sustainable capacity of institutions, stressing that required standards must be maintained throughout the year and not only during accreditation visits.
The minister directed the committee, chaired by Professor Ishaq Oloyede, to develop a digital, data-driven system using technologies including geospatial mapping, geotagging and secure digital records.
The system will verify staff identity and institutional affiliation, as well as the ownership, functionality and sustained availability of laboratories, workshops, libraries and major equipment.
The committee is expected to review existing policies and recommend measures to strengthen monitoring, verification, technology adoption and continuous quality assurance.
The ministry said it would collaborate with the NUC, NBTE, NCCE and other stakeholders to ensure accreditation standards are authentic, functional and sustainably available to students.
