In a significant policy change, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has prohibited professional bodies from carrying out accreditation exercises in Nigerian universities.

This decision reflects the NUC’s assertion of its statutory role as the sole accrediting authority for academic programmes in degree-awarding institutions, as outlined in the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3.

The move seeks to eliminate the challenges posed by overlapping accreditation processes and to reinforce the NUC’s mandate to uphold academic quality and integrity in the nation’s universities.

But the NUC directive is coming at a time when there is a growing call for improved ‘town and gown’ relationship — closer collaborations between universities and the industries they serve.

In the memo by NUC to vice-chancellors of all Nigerian universities, titled, RE: Stoppage of multiple accreditation of academic programmes by professional bodies in Nigerian universities, the regulatory body stated that “The National Universities Commission is in receipt of the attached letter, Ref. FME/DUE/206/1/191 and dated 9 May 2025 from the Federal Ministry of Education informing it of the ministry’s observation of the increasing trend of multiple accreditations of academic programmes in Nigeria universities by various professional bodies, independent of the National Universities Commission.

“The Minister of Education has, therefore, approved that henceforth, all professional bodies shall no longer be allowed to conduct independent accreditation of academic programmes in Nigerian universities. “However, the underlisted regulatory bodies are granted waivers to continue their regulatory activities in collaboration with the National Universities Commission.”

In the memo signed by acting Director, Executive Secretary’s Office, Jubril Abu Momoh, for the NUC Executive Secretary, it listed the professional bodies exempted from the directive to include Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Council of Legal Education (CLE), Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Council of Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and Architects Registration Council of Nigeria.

Worthy of mention is that in Nigeria, accreditation of academic programmes in universities is primarily overseen by the National Universities Commission (NUC), a statutory body under the Federal Ministry of Education. This is because the NUC is responsible for ensuring that universities maintain high standards in their academic offerings. The NUC does this through conducting periodic accreditation exercises to assess and certify the quality of academic programmes and the teaching staff of each university.

However, while the NUC holds the primary responsibility for accrediting academic programmes, certain professional bodies also play a role in accrediting specific programmes, particularly in fields where professional practice is regulated. These bodies assess whether graduates meet the professional standards required for practice in their respective fields.

There are also other professional bodies whose accreditation confers higher professional status on the institutions they give accreditation. Some notable professional bodies involved in accreditation include Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), which accredits engineering programmes in universities, while the Council of Legal Education (CLE) accredits law programmes in Nigerian universities to meet the standards required for admission into the Nigerian Law School and subsequent practice as legal professionals.

There is also the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) that accredits accounting programmes to ensure they meet the standards required for professional certification, just as the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) accredits accounting programmes in universities, to align with the standards necessary for membership and certification as national accountants in Nigeria, while Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) accredits teacher training programmes, ensuring that they align with national educational standards.

There is also the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), which accredits public relations programmes, ensuring they meet professional practice standards while the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) accredits advertising and marketing communication programmes to promote standards.

These professional bodies typically conduct their own accreditation processes, which may involve reviewing curricula, faculty qualifications, and facilities.

Although, their accreditation is often supplementary to the NUC’s approval and is specific to the professional requirements of each field. Commenting, Managing Director, Nitro 121, an integrated marketing communication firm, Lampe Omoyele, interpreted the NUC directive as trying to harmonise the accreditation process and limit multiple accreditation requirements. “This seems to be a call for collaboration between NUC and various professional bodies.”

He maintained that the involvement of professional bodies in accrediting academic programmes should not undermine the NUC’s authority, but should be mutually beneficial. “So, professional bodies and the NUC should collaborate and harmonise accreditation processes and not duplicate efforts.”

According to him, it is important that the two parties are on the same page because if there are conflicting accreditation standards, this could affect quality of education; hence, there is need for collaboration and harmonisation.

He added that rather than deem it as interference, it should be seen as an opportunity for town and gown to interact and learn from each other in order to improve the quality of education and professional practice in the respective industries. He, however, said that this calls for openness, transparency and mutual understanding among the parties.

“I believe that multiple accreditations should be streamlined in order to reduce the financial and administrative burdens on institutions. ⁠Academic institutions and professional bodies, along with the NUC, should collaborate to harmonize accreditation processes with focus on improving educational standards.”

Also speaking, a tax consultant, Adeshina Adedayo, stated that the NUC’s directive aims to strengthen the relationship between universities and their communities, fostering collaboration on research and practical initiatives.

“This can enhance the relevance of education and provide students with real-world experience. The expected impact includes improved partnerships that benefit both students and local development.”

He argued that professional bodies complement the NUC’s authority by ensuring that academic programmes meet industry-specific standards. “While they do not undermine the NUC, conflicting requirements can create confusion. While together, they help produce graduates who are both academically and practically qualified, there is need for uniformity and standardisation.”

Adedayo noted that conflicting standards between the NUC and professional bodies could dilute educational quality and create inconsistencies in programme delivery. He added that universities may also struggle to meet multiple requirements, potentially harming the educational experience. “This misalignment can leave students unprepared for the workforce.”

He also felt that professional bodies can limit a university’s autonomy by imposing external standards that may not align with its goals. “This interference can restrict academic freedom and hinder innovation in curriculum design. Balancing industry needs with institutional independence is crucial for effective governance.”

According to him, the financial and administrative burdens of multiple accreditation processes can be challenging, but they may be justified if they lead to better educational outcomes.

He, nonetheless, said streamlining these processes could reduce costs while maintaining quality standards. “The focus should be on ensuring that graduates are well-prepared for their careers.” To harmonise accreditation, he suggested having a unified framework that incorporates both NUC and professional body standards.

“Collaboration among stakeholders can help align expectations and reduce conflicts. Establishing clear guidelines will enhance educational quality across different fields.”

Some departments have to go through multiple professional bodies for accreditation. For instance, Mass Communication departments seek accreditation from Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Nigeria Institute of Public Relations while accounting departments have ICAN and ANAN.

Adedayo stated that the rise of multiple professional bodies in fields like mass communication and accounting may have prompted the NUC directive to create more coherence in accreditation.

“This proliferation can lead to fragmented standards and confusion among universities and students. A collaborative approach among these bodies by their speaking with ‘one voice’ is essential for maintaining high educational standards.”

For former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka, the two bodies should synergise instead of coming at different times.

“So, I think if NUC is going to do accreditation, they can invite the professional bodies to come and join them.” He stated that this would prevent duplication because most universities have complained that the cost is so much.

“Let’s say for a particular course, NUC will send its accreditation team to a particular university that is offering that course as soon as they leave, the professional body will also send its own team to look at more or less the same documents.

“If you are not well served in academics, it is not likely you will be well served in professional sector, but if your laboratories are not good, if NUC comes, they will say you don’t have enough facilities, if the professional team also comes they are probably going to report the same thing.

“Maybe if NUC is having accreditation for a medical programme in a university, the team from the medical and dental council can have their representatives on the NUC team that is visiting. This is because the cost to the university is a bit on the high side and sometimes, same individuals who come for academic accreditation can also be coming for professional accreditation. So, the question is, can we not have a merger of the two?

“If NUC is in charge of academics, the professional bodies can also have their representatives, maybe two or three that will join the NUC team so that you have only one single accreditation rather than NUC doing the academic accreditation, the professional bodies are also doing, yet you are all working towards the same goal. You want to produce for instance engineers, accountants or geologists that are competent.”

He maintained that there should be synergy between the professional bodies and NUC on accreditation because most universities don’t have a special budget to take care of both academic accreditation and professional accreditation.

On if the new directive by NUC could affect the clamour for better ‘town and gown’ relations among universities and practitioners, Olayinka noted that the people who come for academic activities, some of them belong to the professional bodies.

“So if you want to accredit the medical programme, NUC is likely going to look for medical doctors, or those who are practicing. So some of them are probably also professors and so they belong to the two. For you to teach in the medical school, maybe you have to be a member of that professional body or the faculty of engineering.

“So you have a dual membership. The idea is, can you not have one composite team that will be representing academic accrediting body, which is the NUC and the professional institutes, which is a bit more specialised.”Olayinka stated that he does not see the NUC directive negatively affecting the clamour for better town and gown relationship.

“If there is good understanding, the professional bodies should be represented when the NUC is coming for accreditation. Even the instruments that are being used for accreditation measurements, they can harmonize them, So we have taken care of both the academic and the professional interests in one accreditation process.”

Similarly, Dr Peter Ogudoro, noted that there are laws that require employers to employ only people who possess the licenses only professional bodies award.

“You put university products at a disadvantage when you disallow professional bodies from accrediting university courses. When they accredit university courses, they make it easy for people who study such courses to find jobs and excel in their careers. NUC should have a rethink of their directive on this and see professional bodies as buddies, not competitors or enemies. Professional bodies help universities to serve society well.

“On reforms necessary to harmonise accreditation processes and ensure the integrity of the higher education system in Nigeria, Ogudoro stated that there is need to get the country’s education philosophy right and understand that universities cannot be stand-alone institutions.”

“The gown must collaborate with town for university products to be job ready. Professional bodies should have representatives on the panels that accredit university courses. The ethics that professional bodies place great values on will help us ensure that university products serve society with integrity and pursue not only financial rewards for their efforts but also lives of significance.

“This is one of the major ways of dealing with the corruption that has undermined Nigeria’s capacity for accelerated development. The current accreditation system is not serving us well. There are too many people with university credentials who are not able to think properly and who cannot speak the language of industry. The lords in the ivory tower should have the humility to learn from professional bodies and collaborate with them to deliver globally competitive courses.”

Ogudoru observed that there should be no competition between both bodies because NUC and professional bodies are not pursuing diametrically opposed objectives.

“Their efforts are normally complementary. NUC accredits courses in line with prescribed academic standards for the purpose of granting universities the right to award degrees to people who complete those courses. Universities globally tend to focus on theorical frameworks and broad-based education that help people learn how to think and understand concepts, societies and problems generally.

“When they do their jobs well, beneficiaries become system thinkers, community defenders and global citizens. Professional bodies are narrower in their focus. They ensure that practitioners of the professions they regulate have the knowledge, skills, and values requisite for effectiveness on the job. The training they offer is job-focused and ethics-oriented.

“They also provide platforms for practitioners to invest in life-long learning and continuous professional development since changes in society demand continuous upgrading of knowledge and skills.

“Practitioners belong to professional bodies for life and use the platforms they provide to acquire social capital for the promotion of their careers. Members are subject to scrutiny by their peers which helps society get good quality service from people holding jobs.

“Universities do not have the capacity to do what professional bodies do and vice versa. Where they play their complementary roles well, society wins. When professional bodies accredit courses, they do so to stamp authority on those courses, which encourages employers to hire people who study them. Such stamp of authority reduces the number of years and resources it takes university products to become qualified practitioners. In a significant sense, they are doing universities a favour when they come into their domains to accredit their courses.”