THE National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted full accreditation status to 18 academic programmes at the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti.
The accreditation followed an exercise conducted by the NUC in October and November 2024.
The approval was communicated in a letter dated April 30, 2025, signed by the Acting Director of Accreditation, Abraham Chundusu, on behalf of the Commission’s Executive Secretary, according to a statement by the institution.
Announcing the news on Monday, May 19, the Head of EKSU’s Directorate of Information, Bode Olofinmuagun, described the development as a significant achievement for the university.
“The development also reaffirms EKSU’s growing reputation as the best state university in Nigeria, according to the Times Higher Education 2025 universities ranking,” he stated.
The newly accredited programmes cover a wide range of fields, including Administration, Arts, Engineering, Education, and Social Sciences.
The courses include: M.Sc. Business Administration, Master of Personnel Management, M.Sc. Finance, Master of Public Administration, Master of Business Administration, Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Philosophy.
Others are Building and Woodwork Technology Education, Electrical and Electronic Technology Education, Metal and Auto Mechanic Technology Education, Christian Religious Studies, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Law, Geology, and Psychology.
Reacting to the news, the Vice Chancellor of EKSU, Babatola Ayodele, expressed delight, describing the accreditation as a testament to the collective hard work of the university’s staff.
He said: “It is a dream come true and a product of tireless efforts by the academic and administrative staff of the University. The university is always better positioned to meet the educational needs of Nigerian youth in cutting-edge and relevant fields of study.”
This was coming barely three weeks after NUC issued provisional licenses to 11 newly approved private universities.
The licenses were formally presented on Wednesday, April 30, at the NUC auditorium in Abuja. While speaking during the presentation, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Abdullahi Ribadu, said there was a growing need for private universities to cater to Nigeria’s youthful population.
He stressed that private universities had significantly expanded the nation’s academic landscape since 1999.
“From just 49 universities in 1999, 23 of which were private, Nigeria now boasts of 298 universities, with 159 (53.3 per cent) being privately owned. The catalyst for this expansion is the increased participation of the private sector,” he said.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M