The National Universities Commission (NUC) has said that all specialised universities offering illegal courses should stick to their mandate.
The commission has started its plan to discredit all the courses offered by some specialised universities.
NUC’s action comes two months after the federal government gave a directive warning all specialised universities not to offer course not included in their mandate.
The federal ministry of education had in a order advised these universities which were set up to offer specific courses in some sectors of the Nigerian economy.
These universities include universities of technology and agriculture.
But speaking on the matter, the director of information at the NUC, Ibrahim Yakasai, said the commission have had meeting with officials of the affected special universities.
Yakasai said the NUC met with Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, vice chancellors of the specialized universities to harmonize the courses that were being offered by the institutions.
He said the schools affected brought their programs for review by the commission.
“We are looking at the courses that are actually related to the mandates given to them, looking at the courses that are relevant for the Agriculture universities and those that are also relevant to technology universities; thereby de-list those that are not relevant and ask them to stop doing them,” Yakasai said.
“We will then revert back to the schools on the ones being approved for them and then we forward it to JAMB,” he said.
He, however, added that students who are currently on the affected programs will be allowed to complete their courses.
Also lecturers currently teaching programmes which will be de-listed will be deployed to other related courses to continue teaching.
“We are not NAFDAC, we are dealing with human beings and not medicines that we can ban and discard. Whenever there is an order like this, we have to allow those already being enrolled legally to finish and their degrees will be recognized,” he said.
He further warned all specialized universities to adhere to their provided mandate to avoid de-listment.
“Every school has laws and when those laws were written, it is clearly stated in the laws why they are set up for.
“So what is difficult in the government asking them to go back to the laws and mandate the government approved for them,” he said.