FG Takes Steps to End Accreditation Fraud in Tertiary Institutions

On September 10, 2023, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced a significant initiative to combat accreditation fraud in tertiary institutions. The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, stated that institutions will no longer be permitted to use temporarily "borrowed" lecturers, equipment, and facilities to obtain regulatory approval.

This announcement was made during the inauguration of a Ministerial Committee on Strengthening the Accreditation and Quality Assurance System for Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, chaired by Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the immediate-past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. The committee is tasked with reviewing the current accreditation framework and proposing measures to enhance monitoring, verification, and technology adoption for continuous quality assurance.

Alausa emphasized that accreditation should reflect an institution's actual and sustainable capacity, ensuring that necessary staff and facilities are genuinely available. The committee will also develop a digital accreditation system utilizing technologies like geospatial mapping and geotagging to verify institutional claims.