NUC berates private universities for tri-semester programmes

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Professor Julius Okojie has berated private universities in the country for introducing a third semester programme in their academic calendars as against the two semester system approved by the commission.

Speaking at a meeting with vice-chancellors and registrars of private universities in Abuja, Okojie said this new system was alien to the nation’s education system and it would not be condoned by the commission.

He stressed that “this is erosion to the university tradition”

According to him, the commission would soon conduct a census of all professional programmes in the Nigerian university system with a view to identifying institutions running unapproved programmes. While condemning the award of honorary degrees by some universities during matriculation ceremonies, Okojie said though NUC is the statutory accrediting body of programmes in the nation’s universities, professional bodies were expected to compliment the efforts of the commission by ensuring that conflicting results were not issued and academic calendars were not frequently disrupted.