The Goals of the National Universities Commission are:

• Attainment of stable and crisis-free University System.
• To work with Nigerian Universities to achieve full accreditation status for at least 80% of the academic programmes.
• To initiate and promote proficiency in the use of ICT for service delivery within the Commission and the Nigerian University System.
• Upgrade and maintain physical facilities in the Nigerian University System for delivery of quality university education.
• To match university graduate output with national manpower needs.
• To foster partnership between the Nigerian University System and the private sector.

The Functions of the Commission are:

• To advise the President and State Governors, through the Minister, on the creation of new universities and other degree-awarding institutions in Nigeria;
• To prepare, after consultation with the State Governments, the universities, the national manpower Board and such other bodies as it considers appropriate, periodic master plans for the balanced and co-coordinated development of all universities in Nigeria;
  To lay down Minimum Academic Standards in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to accredit their degrees and other academic awards;
• To ensure that quality is maintained within the academic programmes of the Nigerian University System;
• To make such other investigations relating to higher education as the Commission may consider necessary in the national interest;
• To inquire into and advise the Federal Government on the financial needs, both recurrent and capital, of university education in Nigeria and, in particular, to investigate and study the financial needs of university research and to ensure that adequate provision is made for this in the universities;
• To take into account, in advising the Federal and State Governments on university finances, such grants as may be made to the Universities by the Federal and State Governments, private proprietors and by persons and institutions in and outside Nigeria;
• To undertake periodic reviews of the terms and conditions of service of personnel engaged in the universities and to make recommendations thereon to the Federal Government where appropriate;
• To recommend to the Visitor of a university that a visitation be made to such university as and when it considers it necessary;
• To act as the agency for channeling all external aid to the universities in Nigeria;
• To receive block grants from the Federal Government and allocate them to Federal Universities in accordance with such formula as may be laid down by the National Council of Ministers.