Abuja – Prof. Oyewale Tomori, Pre-Convocation Lecturer at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja), has faulted the National Universities Commission (NUC) on the use of outdated benchmark in its accreditation of universities and courses.
Tomori raised the concern on Friday in Abuja in his pre-convocation lecture ahead of the 15th to 20th Combined Convocation Ceremony of the University scheduled for Feb. 27.
The topic of the lecture was “Building a New Generation University: Problems and Prospects.’’
Tomori insisted that the curriculum of courses in a new generation university should be developed to reflect the needs of the society in which the student would eventually serve.
“We accredit universities using outdated model benchmarks and at the same time, expecting to be ranked among the best universities in the world.
“Those antiquated bench marks that have remained on the bench for years have a way of stifling innovation and discouraging adapting to the changes required in our society.
“NUC must continue to carry out accreditation using people of integrity who will ensure that every university abides by the rules and regulations of accreditation,’’ he said.
Tomori, who is the president, Nigerian Academy of Science, said that it would be unfair to say that there were no universities that met the standard in Nigeria.
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He said that it would be difficult to sustain quality when the system that checked the quality was faulty, adding that the benchmarks that were set up in 2000 could no longer be relevant in 2016.
He listed the criteria needed for the establishment of new generation university, to include: good infrastructure, good governance, visionary and strong leadership as well as a team of qualified academics and administrators.
Earlier in his comments, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, the Minister of State for Education, said that pre-convocation lectures had always been platforms for proffering solutions to national problems. (NAN)
