Nigerian graduates of unaccredited tertiary institutions in the Niger Republic have been urged to hold their schools accountable rather than blame the Federal Government for their exclusion from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, as the Union of Concerned Academics (UCA) stepped forward to defend the government's position.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, UCA Chairman Dr Ayanlola Ayanyimika described claims by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Niger Republic Chapter, that some of its members were unfairly denied NYSC participation as "misleading and politically motivated." He maintained that the affected institutions do not possess accreditation from the National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education, the statutory body responsible for regulating higher education in Niger Republic.
"Let it be stated clearly and without ambiguity that the institutions being defended do not have accreditation or official recognition from the appropriate authority in Niger Republic. Any claim suggesting otherwise is misleading and inconsistent with verified records," Ayanyimika stated.
The UCA chairman praised the role of the Nigeria Niger Joint Commission for Cooperation for providing a verified list of legitimately accredited institutions in the Niger Republic, noting that the move has helped counter misinformation in the public domain. He also commended the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education for what he described as a firm commitment to due process and the protection of Nigeria's academic standards.
Ayanyimika recalled previous regulatory actions by the National Universities Commission (NUC), which had shut down illegal satellite campuses operated by some foreign institutions in Gusau, Zamfara State, describing such operations as a violation of Nigeria's higher education laws. He further referenced the Addis Ababa Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and Other Academic Qualifications in Higher Education in African States, noting that "no institution can legitimately seek recognition of its certificates in a foreign country if it is not first accredited in its country of origin. This principle is a safeguard against academic fraud."
Addressing the affected students directly, the chairman urged them to ask their institutions a fundamental question. "Students should return to their schools and ask a fundamental question: why have these institutions failed to obtain accreditation from their own national quality assurance authority? The silence on this issue should concern every student," he declared.
Ayanyimika called on NANS Niger Republic Chapter to act responsibly, warning that "Nigeria's education system must not and will not become a dumping ground for unaccredited qualifications."
