NIGERIA: Panic grips students in illegal universities

The National Universities Commission of Nigeria recently published a list of 31 'illegal' universities - including offshore campuses of foreign universities - that it has not approved, prompting panic in the affected institutions. Students face a bleak future if their qualifications are not recognised, teachers are no longer sure of their jobs while governing councils fear being prosecuted and have been lobbying key people in the legislative and executive arms of Nigeria's 36 states to have their universities recognised and accredited.

The coordinator of one university reportedly took refuge in a police station to avoid being mobbed by some 2,000 students who were demanding a refund.

"The National Universities Commission [NUC] wishes to announce to the general public, especially parents and prospective undergraduates, that universities not licensed by the federal government are operating illegally in violation of the Education National Minimum Standards Act of 2004, passed into law by the Nigerian parliament," declared NUC executive secretary Professor Julius Okojie at a press conference in Nigeria's capital Abuja.

There are three broad categories of unrecognised institutions. First, there is a preponderance of satellite or offshore campuses whose parent bodies are mostly based in the US, Canada and UK.

NUC consultant Fidelis Oyakhilome confirmed that no offshore university had been approved and so they are all operating illegally: "Graduates from such institutions will not be admitted into the National Youth Service Corps and neither will their certificates be recognised anywhere in the country," he warned.

The second category comprises private institutions established by rich individuals and religious organisations. They conduct their own admission examinations outside those organised by Joint Admission Matriculation Board for universities accredited by NUC.

Reliable sources say the proprietors of many of these universities recruit on to their governing councils influential individuals within Nigerian political circles in the hope - apparently now dashed - they will help the institutions to be recognised by the NUC.

Kareem Abegunde, a lecturer at the University of Maiduguri, claimed that owners of private institutions believed it would be difficult on humanitarian grounds for government to close them down once students were in their penultimate year of study: "Government must not accept this blackmail," Abegunde advised.

In the third category are two private universities in the neighbouring Republic of Benin: Houndegbe North American University in Cotonou, and the University of Applied Sciences and Management in Porto Novo. Benin is a Francophone country and French is the language of teaching and research in higher education. Investigations revealed that virtually all their students are Nigerians and courses are taught in English and that neither is NUC-recognised.

The main reason for the proliferation of 'illegal' universities is the inability of public higher education to meet student demand. During the 1970s, the government invested massively in primary and secondary schools across the country. But there was little investment in tertiary education to cater for the growing number of qualified school leavers.

"Since higher education is both a culture and an industry in Nigeria, desperate parents will...send their kids to any university. This is the basic reason for the proliferation of offshore universities," said Stephen Azuka, a lecturer at Alvan Ikoku University in Owerri.

Students at 'illegal' institutions are deeply worried about their future. Their genuine fears stem from three interrelated factors. First, their degrees will not be recognised by public and private employers. Second, they will not be admitted to postgraduate programmes in Nigeria or abroad as North American and Commonwealth universities require postgraduate students to have studied at universities recognised by and registered with the NUC.

Third, students from unrecognised institutions are not admitted to the compulsory National Youth Service Corps scheme, which is for students who earn places in recognised universities through Nigeria's official Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) university entrance exams. This control mechanism prevents 'fake' students entering the National Youth Corps Scheme - and any graduate who does not go through the scheme cannot, by law, be employed or enter postgraduate studies.

So students in unrecognised institutions are in a real quandary and now they are desperately thinking about alternatives. "There is a general feeling among my course mates in the humanities and social sciences that we should register for long-distance learning courses operated by the Nigeria Open University," said Nkoyo Ita, a student of Royal University in Izha, in eastern Nigeria's Ebonyi state.

Students in offshore universities intend to continue their studies with the parent institution overseas, by correspondence via the internet. The biggest challenge faces students in basic and applied sciences in 'illegal' universities, as it is more difficult to undertake their degree courses by correspondence, given the laboratory and practical assignments they demand.

Yusuf Akinyinka, a student at North Central University in Otukpo, Benue state, lamented: "We have no choice but to wait till next year when we can sit for qualifying examinations in the hope that we can gain admission into universities recognised by the NUC. For now, I will personally withdraw from my university."

Many Nigerian students in the two 'illegal' universities in Benin have resolved to return home and register for next year's JAMB exams.

In mid-September, students protested at North Central University in Otukpo, prompting coordinator Dr Francis Ada to take refuge in a police station. According to This Day, more than 2,000 students took part, demanding a refund following the university's closure by the Benue state governor. Students claimed they had been deceived regarding the university's status.

Student union president Mathew John Ochiba claimed students had been told the institution was registered with the authorities and had been shown fake forms. "We are appealing to government to come to our rescue as we've wasted one year for nothing," he said.

The university announced the suspension of academic activities following the protest but said in a statement that the problems would be properly addressed. It advised students to vacate campus until further notice.