The National Universities Commission (NUC), Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Ibrahim Yakassai during a press briefing in Abuja yesterday announced that online degrees obtained from foreign institutions will not be recognized in Nigeria as they are not backed by the constitution. He also implored students to avoid online universities which offer academic programmes without physical contact.
“Nigeria will not recognise online degrees. Online degrees are not accepted in Nigeria at the moment. The Nigerian constitution does not even give recognition to such degrees. Those who run out of Nigeria for study outside this country are those looking for cheaper degrees. It is either they cannot pass the examinations or they do not possess the minimum entry qualifications.” He said.
The commission also took a swipe at the Maryam Abacha American University in Niger Republic over their poor entry qualifications.
“We wish to restate that as the only quality assurance agency for universities in Nigeria, the NUC is maintaining its stand that degrees from Maryam Abacha University will not be accepted in Nigeria.”
The NUC stated that students who enrol for such programmes are only looking for cheap means of acquiring qualifications adding that concerned students were offered admissions on part-time basis with a graduation time of four semesters for programmes including Nursing, Medical Laboratory Sciences and Public Health.
He said, “In Nigeria, the duration for a full time degree programme is not less than three years for direct entry and at least, six years for part-time, while professional programmes in Sciences, Engineering and Health Sciences, including Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science and Public Health are not offered on part-time basis in Nigeria”.