NUC Warns Against Charging Fees in Dollars; Confirms Implementation of New Varsity Curriculum

Maiyaki clarified that while charging fees in dollars might be applicable to foreign students, as it is the accepted currency for international students worldwide, it is not permissible for Nigerian universities to adopt this practice for local students. He underscored that Nigerian law explicitly prohibits any entity within the country from charging fees in dollars.

Feb 28, 2024 - 11:57 Updated: Feb 28, 2024 - 15:12

NUC Warns Against Charging Fees in Dollars; Confirms Implementation of New Varsity Curriculum

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has issued a stern warning to universities in Nigeria against charging fees in United States dollars, emphasizing that it is prohibited for any university, whether public or private, to implement such a policy. Chris Maiyaki, the Acting Executive Secretary of NUC, delivered this warning during an interactive session with members of the Education Correspondent Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja.

Maiyaki clarified that while charging fees in dollars might be applicable to foreign students, as it is the accepted currency for international students worldwide, it is not permissible for Nigerian universities to adopt this practice for local students. He underscored that Nigerian law explicitly prohibits any entity within the country from charging fees in dollars.

Furthermore, Maiyaki reaffirmed the NUC's commitment to implementing the newly approved Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) with effect from the 2023/2024 academic session. He stressed that this initiative is a significant step towards enhancing global competitiveness and ensuring quality education in Nigerian universities.

Addressing concerns about degree mills and illegal degree issuance, Maiyaki disclosed that prosecutions have been secured against individuals involved in such activities, with some currently serving jail terms. Additionally, he highlighted the NUC's efforts in generating a directory of full professors in Nigeria to facilitate referrals and producing a unit cost analysis to estimate the cost of training individuals in specific disciplines.

Maiyaki also discussed the challenges facing the NUC, including industrial unrest in universities, slow deployment of ICT facilities for teaching, financial constraints for training and retraining manpower, and inadequate equipment for quality assurance activities. Despite these challenges, he emphasized the NUC's commitment to improving the quality of education and ensuring global competitiveness in Nigerian universities.

In conclusion, Maiyaki announced plans to license two additional universities soon, aiming to address the insufficient number of universities in Nigeria relative to the country's population of over 200 million.