Afe Babalola Urges Return to Okebukola-Era NUC Standards to Curb Proliferation of Substandard Varsities
Legal icon and elder statesman, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has sounded a strong warning to the Federal Government against the unchecked approval of new universities across the country. He called for a return to the stringent regulatory practices of the National Universities Commission (NUC) under Prof. Peter Okebukola.
Speaking on Monday at the High Impact Research and Journal Advancement Workshop hosted by Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Babalola decried what he described as the “mushrooming” of substandard universities lacking in quality and infrastructure.
He stressed that the proliferation of universities without thorough vetting processes threatens the future of Nigeria’s education system.
“During Okebukola’s tenure as NUC Executive Secretary, the commission was known for its rigorous approval and accreditation standards. It was almost impossible to get clearance for sensitive programmes like Medicine, Law, and Engineering in the early years of a university’s establishment,” Babalola recalled.
“Today, we are witnessing mass approval of poorly-equipped universities, some of which lack even basic learning infrastructure. This anything-goes syndrome is compromising the NUC’s ability to ensure quality control,” he added.
Again, Babalola disclosed that while Nigeria currently has over 270 universities, the National Assembly is considering proposals for an additional 200 institutions—raising concerns about the prioritisation of quantity over quality.
“The result is a gradual collapse of educational standards and a decline in the quality of graduates. Poor education is worse than illiteracy,” he said. “As such, we cannot hope to drive sustainable development through high-impact research if we do not first halt the spread of substandard universities.”
Delivering a keynote lecture titled “Promoting High-Impact Research Publications for Sustainable National Development in Nigeria: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Directions”, former NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola, called for stronger collaboration with international researchers to improve the global ranking of Nigerian universities. He noted that such partnerships would boost ABUAD’s standing and attract international attention.
Also speaking at the event, Prof. Damilola Olawuyi, Editor-in-Chief of the ABUAD Journal of Sustainable Development, Law and Policy, highlighted the workshop’s aim of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in research and journal management. He noted that the Journal, founded in 2013, earned accreditation from South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training. In addition, he said the Journal appears in major academic directories such as COPE, DOAJ, and AJOL.
In her welcome address, ABUAD Vice Chancellor Prof. Smaranda Olarinde acknowledged the support of Electronic Information For Libraries (EIFL) in organizing the workshop. She said participants would gain practical knowledge in managing open access journals, ethical research practices, and enhancing the visibility of African academic work.
