By Raphael Jov, Abuja
National Universities Commission (NUC) has charged conventional universities in the country to accelerate efforts and introduce open and distance learning wings in order to expand education in the country.
The executive secretary of NUC, Professor Abubakar Rasheed said this in Abuja while speaking at a two day retreat, organized for all Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities as a way of sustaining the periodic review of the challenges confronting tertiary education.
He said: “We want to encourage our conventional universities to introduce Open And Distance Learning wings. We are working on developing the protocol for Open and Distance Learning so that we can have a quality distance learning education.”
Rasheed noted that for a successful tertiary education delivery in the country both private and public universities will have to come together as one and reinvent themselves in order to progress.
Stressing the need for a continuous review of tertiary education, Rasheed said: “Our system is growing. With over 164 universities with about 2 million students’ enrolment and over 60,000 academics in the system, we have a very expanding system that we need to become more regularly with our review.”
On the consistent rumours of Nigerian universities being ranked, Rasheed said the commission has not rendered any ranking of universities, adding that the official ranking of all Nigerian universities will be released next year when all the accreditation might have been done.
He further challenged universities to come up with new programmes saying that the commission is ready to partner with them in order to move forward.
