FG Bans Tertiary Institutions From Using Borrowed Resources For Accreditation

FG Bans Tertiary Institutions from Using Borrowed Resources for Accreditation The Federal Government has warned tertiary institutions across Nigeria against using borrowed lecturers, equipment and laboratory facilities to secure accreditation, insisting that institutions must provide resources they genuinely own and can sustainably maintain. The government said the practice undermines the integrity of the accreditation process and gives a misleading picture of the capacity of institutions to deliver quality education. The Federal Government directed universities and other tertiary institutions to ensure that academic programmes presented for accreditation are supported by their own lecturers, equipment, laboratories and other essential facilities. Institutions are expected to demonstrate that the resources listed during accreditation exercises are permanently available and can be maintained for the benefit of students. The directive is aimed at preventing institutions from temporarily assembling facilities and personnel simply to satisfy accreditation requirements. Under the new position, institutions will not be expected to rely on lecturers temporarily brought in from other schools to meet staffing requirements during accreditation exercises. The same principle applies to laboratory equipment and other academic infrastructure. Government officials stressed that accreditation should reflect the actual capacity of an institution, rather than resources temporarily made available for inspection. The Federal Government said the measure is part of efforts to strengthen quality assurance across Nigeria’s tertiary education system. Accreditation is used to determine whether institutions and academic programmes meet prescribed standards relating to teaching staff, infrastructure, curriculum, laboratories, libraries and other resources. Officials believe ensuring that institutions maintain these resources on a permanent basis will improve the quality and sustainability of academic programmes. The warning places greater responsibility on tertiary institutions to invest in their own academic infrastructure and human resources. Rather than relying on temporary arrangements when accreditation teams arrive, schools will be expected to maintain the required standards throughout the academic year. The policy could also compel institutions to prioritise long-term investment in laboratories, equipment and qualified academic staff. The Federal Government’s position reflects growing emphasis on ensuring that Nigeria’s tertiary institutions provide students with adequate facilities and qualified lecturers on a continuous basis. Authorities are expected to intensify monitoring of institutions to ensure that during accreditation exercises remain available after the exercise has been completed. The government maintained that accreditation must serve as a genuine assessment of an institution’s capacity to deliver quality education, rather than a process that can be passed through temporary access to borrowed resources.