The National Universities Commission, NUC, was established in 1962 as an advisory agency in the Nigerian Cabinet Office in Lagos. However in 1974, it became a statutory body and the first Executive Secretary, in the person of Prof. Jibril Aminu was then appointed.
The NUC, which is a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Education, has a Governing Council. Its current Executive Secretary is Prof. Abdulrasheed Abubakar, who assumed office on August 3, 2016.
The main functions of the Commission are as follows:
Granting approval for all academic programs run in Nigerian universities;
Granting approval for the establishment of all higher educational institutions offering degree programs in Nigerian universities;
Ensuring quality assurance of all academic programs offered in the country’s universities; and
Channeling all external support to the Nigerian universities
The Commission has twelve Directorates, all geared towards making the management of the country’s university system more efficient.
As a coordinating body, the Commission ensures it discharges its responsibilities by recruiting adequate and relevant manpower and appeals to the management of the universities for their sustained support and understanding. The Commission also relies on support from the Federal Government, State Governments and other stakeholders in its bid to improve on the quality of tertiary education and graduates of the nation’s university system.
