The Federal Government has announced plans to stop tertiary institutions from borrowing academic staff, equipment and other facilities to meet accreditation requirements, saying the practice undermines the quality and credibility of Nigeria’s higher education system.
The development was reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on September 9, 2026, as the government moves to strengthen the accreditation process for universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions.
Under the current accreditation process, institutions are expected to demonstrate that they have adequate academic personnel, infrastructure, laboratories and other facilities required to run their approved programmes. However, concerns have been raised over institutions temporarily obtaining resources from other schools to satisfy accreditation requirements.
The Federal Government’s proposed approach is aimed at ensuring that institutions possess the resources they claim to have on a permanent and sustainable basis.
The move is expected to place greater emphasis on institutional capacity and could compel tertiary institutions to invest more consistently in qualified academic staff, teaching facilities, laboratories and other infrastructure.
The government’s position also comes amid broader efforts to improve the quality of higher education and ensure that graduates from Nigerian institutions receive training that meets acceptable academic and professional standards.
If implemented effectively, the policy could make accreditation assessments more reflective of the actual conditions students encounter within their institutions rather than temporary arrangements made specifically for inspection exercises.
