Tinubu Orders Crackdown on Illegal Tertiary Institutions — NUC, NBTE, Others to Take Action!
To protect the education sector from quackery and fraudulent institutions, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and other pertinent government authorities to crack down on illegitimate tertiary schools. He underlined that the country’s academic system’s integrity must not be jeopardized.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to raising the standard of education in the nation by giving the agencies specific instructions to make sure that certificate mill operations are permanently stopped.
The directive was issued on Saturday at the 14th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja, where honorary doctoral degrees were awarded to two notable Nigerians: Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Abbas was given the Honorary Doctorate of Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) Honoris Causa, while Adesina was given the Honorary Doctorate of Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Honoris Causa.
Additionally, 51 prisoners from various correctional facilities around the nation graduated during the convocation, including 10 postgraduate students and 41 undergraduates.
Hajiya Rakiya Gambo Ilyasu, Director of University Education, represented President Tinubu, who tasked universities with enacting creative policies that guarantee graduates are ready for the workforce by providing them with the academic prowess and critical soft skills needed to succeed in the modern digital world.
Nigeria must not fall behind as economies around the world transition to knowledge-based systems, he said. He emphasized how critical it is to give innovation and digital skills a top priority.
He also emphasized the necessity of stopping the growth of illegal universities and other postsecondary educational establishments in the nation.
In order to improve efficiency and quality, it is now necessary to restate the administration’s commitment to fortifying the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education.
“To enhance the quality of education and guarantee that instances of forgery and unrecognized institutions — both domestically and internationally — are eradicated from our educational system, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) are collaborating.
As a result, I give the leaders of these organizations the mandate to continue to enforce the government’s decision to protect our educational system against dubious establishments. “The operations of certificate mills must be examined and permanently halted, and the integrity of our educational system must not be jeopardized,” he said.
Noting that NOUN can influence the direction of education and skill development in the nation, President Tinubu also charged NOUN with spearheading the effort to develop a workforce with digital skills to propel Nigeria’s economic growth and competitiveness in the global economy.
He urged the administration of the university to use its experience with Open and Distance Learning (ODL) to turn NOUN into a fully online school.
As a result, I am pushing the university to completely embrace technology in order to optimize its delivery system. In order to improve accessibility, flexibility, and the general standard of education, NOUN must embrace state-of-the-art digital tools as part of this shift,” he stated.
He promised that his administration would support the use of information technology in school to improve learning. “We are making sure that education stays inclusive and technology-driven through strategic interventions,” he continued.
He said that the federal government is funding the installation of fiber optics infrastructure at NOUN through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to give students at study centers located throughout the nation’s geopolitical zones seamless internet access.
Professor Olufemi Peters, the university’s vice-chancellor, stated in his remarks that the convocation was held concurrently in Abuja and 36 state centers.
He said that 17,420 students, comprising 10,967 undergraduates and 6,413 postgraduates, had graduated from various faculties after being judged deserving in terms of character and knowledge.
16 students received first-class honors, 1,417 received second-class upper division, 5,518 received second-class lower division, 2,761 received third-class, and 138 received pass degrees at the undergraduate level. At the postgraduate level, 40 students obtained doctorates, 4,310 obtained master’s degrees, and 2,103 obtained postgraduate diplomas.
He pointed out that NOUN was designed to address the shortcomings of conventional educational institutions, including their inadequate infrastructure and enrollment capacity. The Open University takes pleasure in offering accessible, high-quality, reasonably priced, and flexible education.
He continued by saying that the university’s initiatives to expand access and encourage lifelong learning, particularly for prisoners in correctional facilities, demonstrate its dedication to equity and equal opportunity. 139 prisoners have so far benefited from NOUN’s undergraduate and graduate scholarship programs.
“From roughly 1,230 students in 2003 to about 133,000 active students spread across 120 study centers nationwide, including those in correctional facilities, our student population has grown significantly over the years.”
He exhorted the graduating students to maintain moral principles, strive for excellence, and use their degrees to improve society.
He urged them to continue being involved with their alma mater by actively supporting the university’s development initiatives on a personal and group level.
“We hope that your stay at the National Open University of Nigeria has equipped you with the skills necessary to take advantage of future opportunities and overcome obstacles. Please keep in mind that your education is a duty to your community, your country, and the entire globe, not just a personal accomplishment.
“We have given you the values, abilities, and information you need to positively impact wherever you go. I encourage you to constantly aim for excellence in all that you do as you embark on this new chapter.
DOWNLOAD EXAM SCHOLARS 2025 CBT APP ON PLAYSTORE
DOWNLOAD EXAM SCHOLARSS 2025 CBT APP ON THE APPLE STORE
DOWNLOAD EXAM SCHOLARS 2025 CBT APP ON WINDOWS
VISIT EXAMSCHOLARS.COM for more info
