Nigeria: Govt Moves to Strengthen Accreditation in Tertiary Institutions

What the report says

The Federal Government of Nigeria has inaugurated a ministerial committee to tighten accreditation and quality assurance in tertiary institutions, according to Daily Trust, which reported the event from Abuja on Wednesday. Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa said the effort is aimed at curbing abuse of accreditation processes and improving confidence in higher education standards.

Alausa warned that school leaders who manipulate accreditation exercises could face sanctions. He said staff involved in compromising standards risk losing their jobs, while private institutions could have their licences withdrawn. He also said institutions should not be allowed to temporarily bring in staff, equipment or facilities just to pass inspections, and asked the committee to design a digital, evidence-based system that can verify resources and personnel more continuously.

The committee is chaired by former JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede. In a separate announcement, the ministry said the federal government had released eight months of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance for academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, in line with the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement. It also said payment for non-academic staff was being processed. Daily Trust further reported that 16,000 people were selected for the first cohort of the ministry’s free Digital Training Academy, from 72,850 applications, as part of a broader push for digital skills development.