The National Universities Commission (NUC) has taken a major step toward improving the quality of higher education in Nigeria by training 60 of its staff on the African Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ASG-QA).
The training is part of a broader effort to ensure Nigerian universities meet continental and global standards, while strengthening the country’s regulatory framework.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Abdullahi Ribadu, described the workshop as a critical move to enhance quality assurance systems and build institutional capacity. Represented by Funmilayo Morebise, he urged participants to take full advantage of the training to improve regulatory effectiveness in line with international best practices.
The ASG-QA framework, developed under the Harmonised Africa Quality Assurance Agencies Initiative (HAQAA), is designed to harmonise standards across African universities. It focuses on key areas such as internal and external quality assurance, institutional accreditation, and the creation of a unified system for evaluating higher education institutions across the continent.
Ribadu also acknowledged the support of major development partners, including the European Union, African Union, African Union Commission, the Association of African Universities, and the German Academic Exchange Service, for their continued role in promoting quality education across Africa.
In his remarks, the NUC Director of Accreditation, Abraham Chundusu, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to aligning Nigeria’s university system with global standards while adapting them to local realities.
Delivering a keynote address, Joseph Bisong explained that the ASG-QA framework is built on three pillars: internal quality assurance, external quality assurance, and the review of national quality assurance agencies.
He noted that effective adoption of the framework could reposition Nigeria’s university system, improve standards, and enhance institutional autonomy. According to him, harmonising higher education across Africa would lead to comparable standards, better collaboration, and stronger academic systems.
Despite Nigeria having the largest university system in Africa, Bisong pointed out that the country has yet to fully benefit from its size due to limited harmonisation. He highlighted challenges such as weak academic mobility, poor credit transfer systems, and low stakeholder engagement.
Still, the message from the training was clear: with the right standards and collaboration, Nigeria’s universities can become more competitive, efficient, and globally recognised.