The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has endorsed the Federal Government’s directive prohibiting universities from using contracted lecturers, borrowed equipment and temporary facilities to secure accreditation for academic programmes.
The union said the move would help protect the credibility of Nigeria’s university system and ensure that accreditation exercises accurately reflect the true capacity of institutions.
In a statement, CONUA National President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, said accreditation should be based on an institution’s sustainable and verifiable ability to deliver academic programmes rather than resources assembled temporarily for inspection purposes.
According to him, the integrity of the accreditation process is essential to maintaining confidence in university education.
Sunmonu urged the government to clearly define sanctions for institutions found violating the directive, including the possibility of accreditation suspension, withdrawal or review.
He added that the standards should apply equally to both public and private universities.
The union also called for sanctions against academics who knowingly allow their credentials to be used to create a false impression of institutional capacity during accreditation exercises.
However, CONUA stressed the need to distinguish between legitimate academic collaborations and deliberate attempts to manipulate accreditation outcomes.
The union noted that arrangements such as visiting appointments, adjunct engagements, joint academic programmes and research partnerships remain acceptable and should not be confused with practices designed to mislead regulators.
While supporting stricter accountability measures, CONUA said the government must also provide adequate funding to enable universities to meet accreditation requirements.
The union argued that universities should not be expected to maintain quality academic staff, laboratories, libraries and other facilities without sufficient and predictable financial support.
“Universities must be accountable for the resources entrusted to them and must not resort to unwholesome practices to create artificial capacity,” the statement said.
“Equally, government must fulfil its responsibility by providing adequate, predictable, and timely funding. Quality assurance cannot be divorced from quality funding.”
CONUA further called for clear implementation guidelines, transparent verification mechanisms and a credible funding framework to support the policy.
The union maintained that the true measure of accreditation should be whether an institution genuinely possesses the resources and capacity required to deliver the education it offers.
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