DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION: ITS ROLE AND
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES AND
THE PLACE OF ACADEMIC PLANNING IN UNIVERSITY
MANAGEMENT
A PAPER PRESENTED BY
PROF. L. ALHASSAN BICHI MNIM
DIRECTOR, ACADEMIC STANDARDS
AT THE
CODAPNU WORKSHOP FOR
ACADEMIC PLANNING OFFICERS OF
NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES.
DATE: 12TH – 15TH JULY, 2011
VENUE: ABDULKADIR AUDITORIUM, NUC, ABUJA.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
The focal concepts in this paper are:
 The National Universities Commission;
 The Nigerian Universities,
 Academic Planning and University Management.
 The National Universities Commission and the Nigerian Universities
as partners
The paper is in three component parts designed to give credence to the
overview of the Nigerian University System,
 the function of the National Universities Commission in relationship
with academic planning system,
 the role of academic planning in the management of Nigerian
University System.
 The concluding part articulates the challenges faced by the
Commission in carrying out its mandate of University academic
planning.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
The National Universities Commission (NUC) was established in 1962 and located in
the cabinet office which function was essentially advisory. The Commission was
reconstituted in 1974 by Act. No. 1 as a statutory body in order to give it the proper
scope to perform its functions.
When the Commission was reconstituted in 1974, its scope of activities was
broadened. The primary objective of the Commission is to ensure the orderly
development of University education in Nigeria and to maintain its high standard.
Broadly, the functions are related to those of the co-ordination and development of
Nigerian Universities.
The Commission was further strengthened by Decree No. 16 of 1985 and Decree
No. 49 of 1988 which empowered it to:
“lay down minimum standards for all Universities in the Federation and to accredit
their degrees and other academic awards after obtaining prior approval therefor
through the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, providing that the
accreditation of degrees and other academic awards shall be in accordance with
such guidelines as may be laid down and approved by the Commission from time
to time”.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Origin of Higher Education in Nigeria - the establishment of the Yaba Higher College by
the colonial government in 1934.

The need for more higher education institutions, the establishment of the Nigeria’s first
university College – the University college Ibadan in 1948 which was an affiliate of the
University of London.

The appointment of the Ashby Commission by the Government of Nigeria in 1959 and
the first generation universities.

From 1975 to 1980 – establishment of the second generation universities

Establishment of the seven universities of technology.

Establishment of state universities between 1980 and 1992

Approval of take off nine federal universities in 2010

At present, the number of universities in Nigeria is 117, consisting of 36 federal
universities, 36 state universities and 45 private universities.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Academic Planning System
The key functions of academic planning unit are:
 Ensuring orderly, balanced and qualitative development of academic
programmes at undergraduates and postgraduate levels in Nigerian
Universities.
 Drawing-up and periodic review of guidelines for analyzing academic briefs
and application for establishment of new academic programme and/or units
in Nigerian universities.
 Collect and collate data on staff, students and facilities as well as recurrent
expenditure in Nigerian universities to ensure compliance with standards and
submission of same for inclusion into the NUC data bank.
 Provide the criteria for institutional accreditation in terms of the quality and
conduciveness of the institutions physical environment to learning.
 Ensuring orderly development of academic programmes at undergraduate
and postgraduate levels in Nigerian universities through analysis of
academic briefs.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
The defined role of Academic Planning in the Nigerian University System
dates back to the early 1980s when the Academic Planning unit was
established by the National Universities Commission to coordinate
academic activities and programmes in the Nigerian Universities, thus
streamlining uncoordinated growth and development, as well as
unnecessary duplication of courses by various teaching units of the
universities. The Unit is expected to ensure compliances with the NUC’s
Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards and university senate’s
academic requirements by enhancing efficiency in teaching, learning
and research in the university and to ensure dissemination and
publication of relevant information.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
The key functions of the Academic Planning Unit can be
grouped into five categories:

Planning;

Quality Assurance ;

Publications and Statistics ;

Liaison ; and

Strategic Planning
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Preparation of university annual recurrent budget

Projections of students’ enrolment figures, corresponding staff strength
and distribution of students according to state of origin and sex for
undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Computation of full-time equivalent (FTE) for all programmes.

Preparation of university calendar for stable academic delivery.

Initiating the review of curriculum in line with trends in the academic
world as well as working with faculties to prepare, review and monitor
their academic plans and identify areas for and potential
development.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
The Unit promotes quality of teaching, learning and research in the
University through periodic evaluation of academic activities in the
University in the following ways:
 Coordinating the preparation of Academic Brief and guiding units of
the university on the operations of the Academic Brief.
 Periodic analysis of performance evaluation of academic programmes
 Analysis of student’s enrolment figures and ensuring compliance with
guidelines such as admission quota, teacher /student ratio and science
/arts ratio.
 Feasibility studies for the establishment of new academic
programme(s);
 Use of data collected for making projections and advising the
university as appropriate.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
The Unit is responsible for the coordination and collation of information
to NUC for National planning. It is responsible for:
 Maintaining data base on students and staff statistics for use in
planning, budgeting, and other requirements.
 Periodic statistics to bodies like Federal Ministry of Education and
National Manpower Board, Statistics output to individual
researchers on demand.
 Periodic update and analyzing data from relevant university
bodies for the internal evaluation of performance status of the
university on all the NUC approved funding parameters and other
guidelines.
 Publication of university records, statistics and research reports.
 Documenting and storing information on academic programmes
of the university as well as student academic and personal
records.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Liaison
The Unit is expected to liaise between the university and
the regulatory body, in this context, the NUC. It seeks
clarification from the NUC and professional bodies on
academic matters and forwards same to the
appropriate section of the university.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Strategic Planning
The universities are expected to have a strategic plan in
place. The planning unit coordinates all the activities to ensure
that every facet of the university community is represented in
the decision making process. The document that is finally
produced must represent the aspirations of the community. It
is the duty of the planning unit to ensure that planning efforts
are properly focused towards achieving the goals of the
organization. The formulation of a plan starts with the design,
environmental analysis, and review of vision/mission,
establishment of goals, strategy development/options and
plan development. The planning unit would have to guide the
university at every stage of the plan development.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Quality Assurance in Nigerian University System
The quality assurance function of the National Universities Commission
consists basically of the setting of Minimum Academic Standards (MAS)
for all programmes taught in Nigerian universities and the accreditation
of such programmes. Let us therefore consider these aspects of the
Commission’s quality assurance measures as thus:
 The Setting of Minimum Academic Standards
 Programme Establishment
 Accreditation of Academic Programmes
.
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS
 Incessant Industrial Action on Campus.
 Lack of Uniform Academic Calendar
 Inadequate Funding of the System
 Lack of Infrastructure
 Satellite Campuses and Illegal Study Centres
 Submission of accurate and prompt information.
REFRENCE
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4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
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Macmillan
Harvey, L. (ed) (1993) Quality Assessment in Higher Education:
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projects
Miller, J. L. Tr. (1983) Strategic Planning as Pragmatic Adaptation
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National Universities Commission (1983) A Summary of the Minimum
Academic Standards, Lagos.
National Universities Commission (1999), the role of Academic Planning
units in Nigerian Universities.
Okebukola, P (2006) ‘the State of Nigerian Universities: Repositioning
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Oliver A. I. (1965) Curriculum Improvement; A guide to Problems,
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THANK YOU