The Academic Staff Union of Universities has called on Education Minister Tunji Alausa to disband the newly established Ministerial Committee on Strengthening Accreditation and Quality Assurance Systems for Tertiary Institutions, cautioning that the committee may weaken rather than enhance oversight of Nigerian universities.
ASUU President Prof. Chris Piwuna stated that the union shares the minister's underlying concern, that some institutions manipulate accreditation processes by temporarily showcasing borrowed lecturers and equipment as their own, and supports his proposal for sanctions against defaulting institutions.
However, he contended that the new committee poses a risk of duplicating and undermining the statutory authority of the National Universities Commission, which is legally tasked with accreditation.
“Institutions that default must face consequences. We agree with the minister on that point, but he should focus on strengthening the NUC instead of diminishing it,” Piwuna expressed.
Alausa set up the committee on Wednesday as part of a larger initiative to reform Nigeria’s accreditation system, aiming to transform it from a periodic process into a continuous, digital, and data-oriented one that can verify institutions’ genuine capacity to provide quality education.
Director of Polytechnic Education Amy Igwe remarked that the committee aims to create a more transparent and trustworthy system and reflects the government’s commitment to safeguarding students’ interests.
The disagreement arises as the Federal Government also announced the distribution of the full Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance to academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education for the eight-month period spanning from January to August 2026, in accordance with the 2025 Federal Government - ASUU agreement, a decision that has not resolved ongoing salary disputes at specific universities, including UNIBEN and UNIZIK.
