After years of allocating carrying capacities to Nigerian universities, the National Universities Commission (NUC), is taking a step further, with the introduction of programme carrying capacities for all academic programmes in the Nigerian University System (NUS).
The Executive Secretary, Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON, disclosed this on Wednesday 10 April, 2013, while receiving a four-man delegation from Benson Idahosa University, Benin-City, Edo State, led by a member of the institution¡¯s Governing Council, Engr. Emmanuel Egbagbe.
Prof. Julius A. Okojie, Executive Secretary, NUC said the proposed carrying capacity of each course would be determined by the demand, needs and its relevance to national development, based on the availability of requisite academic personnel and physical facilities. He stated that the federal government policy on 60:40 ratio for Sciences and Arts was still in force. He said such policy, when implemented, would reduce unemployment. He said some universities were in the habit of violating NUC regulations with respect to new programmes, postgraduate programmes and carrying capacity, thereby creating problems for students and parents.
He promised that students and parents would no longer be made to bear the brunt of unapproved programmes alone, as government would henceforth sanction any Vice-Chancellor who mounted unapproved programmes.
Professor Okojie said the Commission, through the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN), was addressing the challenge of inadequate bandwidth and other ICT-related issues in the NUS. He assured that the project would not only provide adequate bandwidth, but also increase efficient interconnectivity amongst universities and enable them to share resources and information.