Private universities and officials lock horns

The Catholic Church of Nigeria and the National Universities Commission are at loggerheads over the legal and academic status of seminaries and institutions affiliated to Nigerian universities. The disagreements have led to both sides placing advertisements in newspapers over the past two years, to try to win over public sympathy for their differing interpretations of the law and historical events on complex issues. These include affiliation approvals, quality assurance and the level of government intervention in courses offered by the country’s 93 public and private universities.

Six years ago the National Assembly of Nigeria passed a law permitting private organisations and individuals to establish universities and polytechnics. The same law mandates the National Universities Commission (NUC) to regulate and undertake quality control of the content and curricula of academic programmes. The implementation of this policy has led to disagreements between the Conference of Catholic Bishops and the NUC.

The areas of disagreement are several and their resolution would have serious implications regarding the level of government steering of in university courses and curricula. Now there are moves to resolve the conflict between the two bodies. Reliable sources say the Federal Ministry of Education has been mandated by Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Nigeria's President, to step in and find mutually acceptable solutions.

In an advertorial sponsored by NUC and published in a Nigerian daily newspaper Punch in September 2006, the agency claimed that some institutions and seminaries affiliated to universities were illegal because universities did not obtain advance approval for them from the NUC. Moreover, the commission declared that degrees awarded by affiliated religious institutions – even when they are ‘legal – can neither be used to secure secular employment nor for admissions into higher degree programmes in secular universities.

"The omnibus function of NUC under the law setting it up is very clear,” declared Ibrahim Usman Yakassai, head of internal and external communication for the NUC. These functions included processing applications for the establishment of private universities, approving the setting up of universities, approving their courses and programmes, determining and maintaining minimum academic standards, monitoring universities and accrediting academic programmes.

Yakassai cited the case involving the Catholic Mission when – without approval from the NUC – it affiliated its seminary, SS Peter and Paul Seminary in Ibadan in south-western Nigeria, to the University of Ibadan for the award of bachelor of arts degrees in philosophy and religious studies, and a diploma in religious studies.

While records revealed that the affiliation began in August 1982, he said, there was no evidence of NUC approval and even though the University of Ibadan had full accreditation status it had at no point requested the NUC to accredit the programmes of its affiliated institutions. “The university has such 20 such institutions affiliated to it, which are too many to monitor,” Yakassai stated, especially given the distance between the affiliates and their ‘parent’ institutions.

Piqued by theses official statements Reverend Michael Otto Ekpeyong, Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, reminded the NUC that its fresh mandate could not be applied retrospectively.

In a paid advertisement titled "NUC cripples Catholic seminaries in Nigeria", he argued that "the mandate of the NUC is not to approve but to make recommendations to establish universities. In a similar manner the mandate of the NUC is not to approve courses to be taught in the universities, but to make recommendations on which courses are to be taught, or not to be taught, while taking into consideration the manpower needs of the country and at the same time carrying along the universities and relevant stakeholders.

“It is therefore very regrettable that the NUC has, over the years, arrogated to itself powers that do not belong to it. Where the laws empower it to make recommendations it makes determinations and moves on to execute its determination. This is to the detriment of university education and ultimately to the detriment of the common good,” Ekpeyong declared.

Ekpeyong also outlined the history of the affiliations of SS Peter and Paul and other seminaries. Before and after Nigeria obtained independence in 1960, some religious organisations established theological institutions and seminaries. They were affiliated to American and European universities, providing opportunities for non-secular Nigerian institutions to award degrees to their students.

In 1985 the Federal Ministry of Education informed all religious organisations that their institutes should seek affiliation with Nigerian universities. "Accordingly, the Seminary of SS Peter and Paul, Ibadan, sought and obtained affiliation to the University of Ibadan in 1985. Other catholic seminaries and institutions followed step in subsequent years,” Ekpeyong said.

In each case, the seminaries submitted academic curricula to the universities concerned. When it was confirmed that such programmes conformed with courses and units of the university, affiliation would be granted by the senate.

“Through this arrangement, the affiliating university vets the examination questions and scripts as well as the grades for each of the courses. The final certificate is awarded by the senate of the university. Is the university senate not empowered by law to approve affiliations to qualified institutions?

“Does the enabling law of the NUC empower it to override the decision of the senate to offer academic degrees to students of affiliate colleges? Does the enabling law of NUC empower it to abbreviate and disable such academic degrees on the ground of religion? Is it not a calculated design to cripple Catholic seminaries and thus undermine the Catholic Church of Nigeria?" Ekpeyong asked.

Many higher education analysts in Nigeria believe that the dispute between the NUC and Catholic Church in Nigeria is unnecessary.

Chuckuka Odi, a lecturer at University of Uyo, argues that the confrontation between the two bodies is “highly unproductive and diversionary. It is a fact that religious organisations have institutions affiliated to Nigerian universities. If these affiliations have not been formally recognised by NUC the latter should, as a matter of urgency, come up with a joint committee made up of representatives of the university concerned and NUC with a view to undertaking a re-accreditation exercise of affiliated colleges because these universities, and there are several of them, have been awarding – for over two decades – university degrees to students of these institutions".

Stella Okpa, a lecturer of comparative religions at the University of Jos, feels that the NUC could more fruitfully expend its energy on other, more pressing problems. “There are serious issues of funding and research crises confronting both public and private universities. These are the issues NUC should tackle. There are sufficient methods and means to get institutions properly accredited to either public or private universities. After all, accreditation of colleges and courses are routine in nature,” she declared.