NUC Commends Growth Of Nursing Education In Northern Nigeria As KIU VC Seeks Expert Guidance On New Teaching Hospital

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining quality and minimum academic standards in Nigerian universities, describing its ongoing accreditation exercise at Kashim Ibrahim University (KIU), Maiduguri, as a peer-review process aimed at strengthening academic quality, identifying areas for improvement and ensuring effective delivery of university programmes.

The NUC Team Leader for the Nursing Science accreditation exercise, Professor S. H. Garba, gave this assurance while addressing the Vice-Chancellor, members of the University Management and other principal officers during the team's visit to the University.

He conveyed the warm greetings of the Executive Secretary of the NUC to the University community and explained that the Commission's responsibility was to ensure that universities provide the essential facilities, qualified personnel and appropriate learning environment required for effective programme delivery.

Professor Garba said no university anywhere in the world could claim to have achieved 100 percent compliance with every institutional requirement. However, institutions must satisfy the basic minimum standards necessary to deliver quality education, particularly in healthcare-related disciplines.

He emphasised that the training of healthcare professionals was a critical and sensitive responsibility because the individuals being trained would eventually be entrusted with the health and lives of members of society. He therefore stressed the need for adequate facilities, qualified academic personnel and appropriate practical training environments.

Reflecting on the development of Nursing education in Northern Nigeria, the NUC Team Leader recalled its humble beginnings at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where the university-based programme started with only four pioneer staff members.

He expressed satisfaction with the remarkable transformation of the programme over the years, noting that Nursing education had expanded across federal, state and private universities, producing several professors and academic leaders who are contributing significantly to the development of the profession.

Responding, the Vice-Chancellor of Kashim Ibrahim University, Professor Babagana Gutti, reaffirmed the institution's commitment to academic excellence, quality assurance and the development of competent healthcare professionals.

Professor Gutti explained that since assuming office two years ago, he had prioritised the development of academic programmes, ensuring that applications, institutional requirements and necessary preparations were given the attention they deserved.

He disclosed that the University had undertaken a series of professional accreditation and assessment exercises involving its health-related programmes, including Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Radiography and Medicine and Surgery (MBBS), with Nursing Science being another important stage in the process.

He further explained that the University was also expecting accreditation exercises for Physiotherapy and Health Information Management, making the ongoing process part of a broader institutional commitment to strengthening its College of Health Sciences.

The Vice-Chancellor described the accreditation process as demanding but necessary, noting that the University was determined to ensure that its programmes met the required standards and provided students with quality theoretical and practical training.

While appreciating the NUC team's professional responsibility, Professor Gutti appealed to the experts to go beyond the formal accreditation requirements by providing practical observations and recommendations that could help the University improve its facilities and academic operations.

He noted that some important institutional issues might not necessarily be captured in formal accreditation reports but could be identified through the experience and professional perspectives of external assessors.

According to him, the University was particularly interested in receiving such independent assessments because the quality of healthcare professionals produced by Nigerian universities must be good enough to meet international expectations.