Clampdown on Substandard Private Universities Immediately, Afe Babalola Tells FG
Legal icon and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola, has urged the National Universities Commission (NUC) to intensify efforts to close down all privately owned institutions operating below acceptable academic standards.
He made the call while speaking at an academic gathering in Ado-Ekiti, where he expressed concern about the increasing number of poorly regulated degree-awarding centres across the country.
Babalola warned that the unchecked growth of low-quality universities poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s educational development and global credibility.
According to him, many of these institutions lack qualified lecturers, adequate learning facilities, research capacity, and proper governance structures.
He stressed that allowing such schools to continue operating would weaken the value of Nigerian degrees and undermine the prospects of graduates entering competitive professional fields.
The education reform advocate urged the NUC to adopt a more rigorous enforcement strategy, including routine monitoring, compulsory accreditation audits, and immediate shutdown of any institution found to be violating minimum requirements.
He emphasised that the commission must move beyond issuing warnings and take concrete action to safeguard the future of young Nigerians seeking quality higher education.
Babalola also criticised individuals who establish universities solely for profit, describing such ventures as detrimental to national progress.
He insisted that education must be treated as a service to society rather than a commercial enterprise, adding that founders should demonstrate genuine commitment to academic excellence before securing operational approval.
He further recommended that the Federal Government support the NUC with stronger legal backing and necessary funding to enhance oversight functions. According to him, effective regulation can only be achieved when the commission is empowered to sanction defaulting operators and enforce closure without delays or political interference.
Stakeholders in the education sector have echoed Babalola’s sentiments, noting that Nigeria’s tertiary landscape needs urgent reforms to eliminate exploitation and protect students from misleading institutions.
They stressed that a decisive move by the NUC would restore confidence in the university system and encourage investment in credible, well-structured private campuses.
Babalola’s remarks have sparked renewed debate on the quality of higher institutions across the country, with many calling for a nationwide audit to identify unapproved centres and ensure strict compliance with national standards.
His intervention has once again placed a spotlight on the growing need for accountability and sustainability within Nigeria’s university system.
