Requirements to Affiliate with a Nigerian University -

There are set rules by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for colleges of education, polytechnics, and other non-degree awarding institutions to affiliate with Nigerian universities. Some of the NUC guidelines on affiliations also apply to the parent universities, as stipulated by the regulatory body.

Brief Historical Background

The first known affiliate institution in Nigeria was University College Ibadan, which was affiliated with the University of London from 1948 until 1962 (two years after Nigeria’s independence), when it became a fully independent university and was renamed the University of Ibadan (UI). This is why UI is commonly referred to as the Premier University.

It can be said that the academic partnership between the University of London and University College Ibadan provided a great model for similar affiliations between institutions in Nigeria.

Following this model, in 1983, the College of Education, Kano, affiliated with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State. This marked the first indigenous affiliation between two Nigerian institutions. Since then, several other institutions have developed modalities for affiliation, which must be approved by the NUC. Today, over 120 educational institutions are affiliated with more than 20 universities across Nigeria.

The purpose of such affiliations is to make higher education more accessible and, in many cases, to enhance the credibility of certificates issued by the affiliate institutions.

Requirements to Affiliate with a Nigerian University

One of the major requirements a college of education must meet before affiliating with a university is that it must have been in existence for at least 20 years and must have produced at least three sets of graduates in the last 15 years.

Below are the key criteria for an institution seeking affiliation:

Adequate Supervision

The parent university must demonstrate that it has the human capacity to adequately supervise the programmes of the affiliate institution. The goal is to ensure that quality is prioritized over quantity — institutions must not just churn out graduates and certificates without substance.

Year of Existence of Parent Institution

The parent university must have been in existence for not less than 15 years. For example, a college of education cannot affiliate with a newly established university.

Number of Affiliations

An educational institution cannot affiliate with more than five universities — whether federal, state, or private.

Enrolment

According to the NUC guidelines, student enrolment in the affiliated programmes must not exceed the approved carrying capacity. For example, if a programme is approved for 20 students, admitting 50 would violate this rule. Also, the affiliated programmes must have full accreditation.

Affiliate Programmes Must Have NUC Approval

All programmes to be offered under affiliation must receive NUC approval. The Teacher-Student Ratio (TSR) and staff mix must align with NUC standards.

As stated in the NUC guideline:

“The host university must have requisite staff mix in its programme to midwife affiliation and must demonstrate ability to midwife such affiliations through establishment of an Affiliation Supervisory Committee (ASC).”

Senate Endorsement

The Vice-Chancellor or any principal officer of the parent university cannot unilaterally approve an affiliation. Such academic partnerships must be approved by the Senate of the host university. The Senate must also approve all affiliated programmes, and the parent university must submit annual progress reports to the NUC.

Signed MoU

There must be a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the affiliating institution and the parent university.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements into affiliated programmes must match those of the parent university. Additionally, these programmes are subject to NUC accreditation assessments.

Completion of NUC Affiliation Form

After reaching an agreement with the parent university, the affiliating institution must obtain and complete an affiliation form from the NUC, which must be accompanied by the signed MoU.

Year of Existence of Affiliating Institution

The affiliating institution must have been in operation for at least 20 years and must have produced three sets of graduates within the last 15 years.

Staff Strength

The institution must have an adequate number of academic and non-academic staff — qualified in rank and discipline — in line with NUC guidelines.

Student Intake

Students enrolled in affiliated programmes must not exceed 20% of the institution’s total student population. The TSR must conform to the approved NUC Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS).

Graduation Requirements

The graduation requirements for both full-time and part-time students of the affiliate institution must match those of the host university. For instance, if admission into a B.Ed. Chemistry programme in the parent university requires five O-level credits, the affiliate must enforce the same requirement. Lowering the standard to increase student enrolment is not allowed.

Academic Brief

The affiliate institution must have an Academic Brief for the degree-level programmes it intends to run. According to NUC,

“Such academic brief must be certified by the parent university and approved by NUC.”

Infrastructural Facilities

The affiliating institution must provide adequate infrastructure, including a library stocked with relevant books and journals, to ensure quality teaching and learning in line with BMAS.

Admission Through JAMB

Affiliate institutions must not conduct admissions outside the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) process. All admitted students must obtain a JAMB form and bear the matriculation number of the parent university.

Student Records and Certification

All student records must be maintained by both the parent university and the affiliate institution. For example, when Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, was affiliated with Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, both institutions kept records of their students.

The parent university must moderate all examinations taken by students of the affiliate institution. External moderation must be done by qualified university academics.

Responsibilities of the Parent University

The parent university certifies the degree certificates of students from the affiliate institution.

It manages academic records (transcripts).

It is responsible for mobilizing eligible graduates of the affiliate institution for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Why Affiliation?

Why would a college of education or polytechnic seek affiliation with a university when they are both higher education institutions? The reasons include:

Human Resources

Universities have more specialized and experienced academic staff than most polytechnics and colleges of education. Affiliations enable lower institutions to benefit from this expertise.

Access to Higher Education

Affiliation allows non-degree awarding institutions to run Bachelor’s degree programmes — particularly in education and technology — which they may not be able to offer independently due to limited resources.

Access to Research Facilities

Affiliation gives lower institutions access to the research resources of their parent universities, thereby fostering upward knowledge transfer and improving academic output.

Reputation

Affiliating with a reputable university enhances the public perception and academic standing of the affiliating institution. For example, the affiliation between the Federal College of Education, Kano, and ABU improved the former’s reputation. It is important to point out that parent university such as ABU has their affiliation policy guiding such partnership.

Community Development

Some universities, such as ABU, view affiliations as a way of extending community development and widening access to higher education in underserved areas.

Bridging the Distance Gap

Affiliations help meet the growing demand for university education in distant areas. For instance, a Kano resident can earn an ABU degree through an affiliated programme at the Federal College of Education, Kano, without needing to relocate to Zaria — allowing them to study while maintaining their business.

Opeyemi Quadri

Ope is a seasoned content creation specialist and researcher with over a decade of experience writing on education, student aid, and government policies. He is deeply passionate about education-related data.

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