• Coordination of accreditation visits to academic programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in all Nigerian Universities and degree awarding institutions.
• Coordination of institutional accreditation in the Nigerian University System;
• Coordination of the development of new instruments used for accreditation exercises;
• Periodic review of the instruments used for programme and institutional accreditation in Nigerian universities and degree-awarding institutions;
• Promotion of institutional culture of quality assurance and self analysis by encouraging universities to develop strong internal quality assurance mechanism and conduct internal mock accreditation exercises;
• Responding to inquiries and advising the National Universities Commission on all issues that relate to accreditation of academic programmes in Nigerian universities;
• Obtaining annually, the list of approved Full-Time/Part-Time Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Distance Learning academic programmes from the Department of Academic Standards to determine programmes that are mature for accreditation;
• Maintaining a database of professors in Nigerian universities and update same annually;

Division is headed by Dr. (Mrs) Chinelo Nwosu (Deputy Director)

Units

1. Federal Universities Accreditation Unit
2. State Universities Accreditation Unit
3. Private Universities Accreditation Unit

The NUC is empowered by law to lay down Minimum Academic Standards (MAS) for universities in the Federation and to accredit their degrees programmes. This led to the preparation, with the use of experts, of the Minimum Academic Standards for the 13 disciplines taught in Nigerian Universities in 1989. The disciplines are; Administration, Agriculture, Arts, Basic Medical Sciences, Education, Engineering and Technology, Environmental Sciences, Law, Medicine and Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sciences, Social Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.

Following the development of the MAS, the following documents were also produced;

1. Manual for accreditation procedures for academic programmes in Nigerian universities;
2. Self-Study form (NUC/SSF)
3. Programme Evaluation Form (NUC/PEF)
4. Accreditation Panel Report Form (NUC/APRF)
5. Accreditation Re-visitation Form (NUC/ARVF)

The MAS served as a reference document for programme accreditation until 2004, when the Commission employed the services of distinguished professors to review the MAS and the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) was produced.

Accreditation of degree programmes by the NUC is a system of evaluating academic programmes in Nigerian universities to ensure that they meet the provisions of the MAS documents.

The objectives of accreditation of academic programmes are to;

1. Ensure that the provisions of the MAS are attained, maintained and enhanced
2. Assure employers and other members of the community that Nigerian graduates of all academic programmes have attained an acceptable level of competency in their areas of specialization
3. Certify to the international community that the programmes offered in Nigerian Universities are of high standards and their graduates are adequate for employment and further studies.

FUNCTIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE ACCREDITATION DIVISION

• Periodic review of the instruments used for the accreditation of Full-Time/Part-Time Undergraduate, and Distance Learning programmes
• Coordination of the development of new instruments for Undergraduate Accreditation
• Coordination of the accreditation of Full-Time/Part-Time Undergraduate and Distance Learning academic programmes.
• Obtain annually, the list of approved Full-Time/Part-Time Undergraduate and Distance Learning academic programmes from the Department of Academic Standards to determine the list of programmes mature for accreditation.
• Maintaining a database of Professors in the Nigerian universities and update same annually.
• Prepare monthly and annual reports on all the activities of the Division.
• Promotion of institutional culture of quality and self analysis by encouraging universities to conduct internal mock accreditation exercise.
• Responding to inquiries and advising the National Universities Commission on all issues that relate to accreditation of undergraduate academic programmes in Nigerian universities.
• To ensure that the Institutional vision, mission and strategic goals of Nigerian universities are clear, realistic and also aligned with development agenda at the local, national and international levels.

1. a)Pre-Accreditation Activities:
   • Drawing up list of academic programmes to be accredited
   • Compilation of list of Panel Chairmen/Members, time-tabling and budgeting
   • Organizing the accreditation coordination meeting for panel chairmen and members in a simulation workshop

1. b)Post Accreditation Activities:

• Analyzing Accreditation Reports (Technical and Administrative).
• Ranking of programmes and universities, based on their accreditation status.
• Publishing of accreditation status of programmes.
• Issuance of certificates to programmes that earned Full and Interim accreditation results

Division is headed by Mr. A. A. Ingawa (Deputy Director)

Division is headed by Engr. Abraham Chundusu (Deputy Director)

Units

1. Federal Universities Accreditation Unit
2. State Universities Accreditation Unit
3. Private Universities Accreditation Unit

The Division was created from the extant Undergraduate Accreditation Division on the 23^rd July 2014 to handle the accreditation of degree programmes in Affiliate Institutions.

During the System-wide Programme Audit of May, 2007, universities were asked to declare all forms of affiliations entered into. Prior to the exercise, 85 non-degree awarding institutions including Colleges of Education, Seminaries/Theological Institutions and polytechnics were identified. Information obtained from some of the institutions during the May 2007 Programme Audit, showed that the affiliation had been running for more than 10years in most cases, and about 50,0000 graduates had been produced. This generated concern for the Commission as the Affiliations were not regulated.

Comprehensive resource assessments were conducted by the Commission in September 2007, to formalise the relationship with the following main aim. I) to enable the Commission regulate the activities of the institutions; and ii) to periodically undertake accreditation of the programme for quality assurance.

The following instruments are used for accreditation of Affiliate Institutions:

1. Manual for accreditation procedures for academic programmes in Nigerian universities;
2. Self-Study form (NUC/SSF)
3. Programme Evaluation Form (NUC/PEF)
4. Accreditation Panel Report Form (NUC/APRF)
5. Accreditation Re-visitation Form (NUC/ARVF)

FUNCTIONS AFFILIATE INSTITUTION DIVISION

• Coordination of the accreditation of Full-Time/Part-Time programmes in Affiliate Institutions.
• Obtain annually, the list of approved Full-Time/Part-Time programmes of the Colleges from the Department of Academic Standards to determine the list of programmes mature for accreditation.
• Prepare monthly and annual reports on all the activities of the Division.
• Responding to inquiries and advising the National Universities Commission on all issues that relate to accreditation of academic programmes in Affiliate Institutions.

1. a) Pre-Accreditation Activities:

• • • Drawing up list of academic programmes to be accredited
    • Compilation of list of Panel Chairmen/Members, time-tabling and budgeting
    • Organizing the accreditation coordination meeting for panel chairmen and members.

1. b) Post Accreditation Activities:

• • • Analyzing Accreditation Reports (Technical and Administrative).
    • Ranking of programmes and universities, based on their accreditation status.
    • Publishing of accreditation status of programmes.
    • Issuance of certificates to programmes that earned Full and Interim accreditation results.

Division is headed by Mal. Adam I. Muhammad (Deputy Director)

Units

1. Federal Universities Accreditation Unit
2. State Universities Accreditation Unit
3. Private Universities Accreditation Unit

The Division was created from the extant Undergraduate Accreditation Division on the 23^rd July 2014 to handle the accreditation of degree programmes in Affiliate Institutions.

During the System-wide Programme Audit of May, 2007, universities were asked to declare all forms of affiliations entered into. Prior to the exercise, 85 non-degree awarding institutions including Colleges of Education, Seminaries/Theological Institutions and polytechnics were identified. Information obtained from some of the institutions during the May 2007 Programme Audit, showed that the affiliation had been running for more than 10years in most cases, and about 50,0000 graduates had been produced. This generated concern for the Commission as the Affiliations were not regulated.

Comprehensive resource assessments were conducted by the Commission in September 2007, to formalise the relationship with the following main aim. I) to enable the Commission regulate the activities of the institutions; and ii) to periodically undertake accreditation of the programme for quality assurance.

The following instruments are used for accreditation of Affiliate Institutions:

1. Manual for accreditation procedures for academic programmes in Nigerian universities;
2. Self-Study form (NUC/SSF)
3. Programme Evaluation Form (NUC/PEF)
4. Accreditation Panel Report Form (NUC/APRF)
5. Accreditation Re-visitation Form (NUC/ARVF)