The National Universities Commission (NUC) has published a list of 58 institutions it described as “illegal universities” operating in Nigeria without approval.
In a statement released this week, the commission warned parents, guardians, and prospective students to be cautious of such institutions, stressing that certificates obtained from them are invalid and will not be recognized for employment or further studies.
According to the NUC, the blacklisted institutions were found to be operating in violation of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act. Some were discovered to have no physical campuses in Nigeria, while others were either unaccredited affiliates of foreign universities or unapproved study centres.
“These so-called universities pose a serious danger to Nigeria’s higher education system. They lure unsuspecting students with the promise of cheap and fast-tracked degrees, but the qualifications they issue are worthless,” the commission stated.
The list includes institutions such as the University of Accountancy and Management Studies; Christians of Charity American University of Science and Technology, Nkpor, Anambra State; University of Industry, Yaba, Lagos; Royal University, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; United Christian University, Imo State; and Western University, Kwara State, among others.
The commission also identified several foreign-based institutions with purported Nigerian campuses, including Volta University College, Ghana; University of Applied Sciences and Management, Benin Republic; Cape Coast University, Ghana; and Pacific Western University, USA.
The NUC stressed that it remains the sole regulatory body empowered to license and accredit universities in Nigeria. Any institution not approved by the commission is deemed illegal.
The commission urged the public to verify the status of universities through its official website and reiterated its commitment to safeguarding academic standards in Nigeria.
“This blacklist serves as a warning to operators of such institutions and to those who patronize them. Nigerians deserve access to quality, accredited education not fraudulent certificates,” the statement read.
