The National Universities Commission, NUC, has tasked the management of the Cosmopolitan University, Abuja, on maintaining high academic standards, following the institution’s receipt of a permanent operational licence.
Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof Abdullahi Ribadu, spoke in Abuja on Thursday while presenting the permanent operational licence to the university’s management at the commission’s headquarters in Maitama.
Ribadu said the commission was satisfied with the progress recorded by the university during its three-years probationary period, which culminated in the award of the permanent operational licence.
“During your probational period, you were judged, you were monitored, because it’s like you took an exam, actually,” he said.
“A committee went to verify your processes, your students, your staff and everything. The idea was either to recommend a full license for you or withdraw the existing one because something has to happen after three years.
“So, after three years, you either graduate to get the full license or you don’t. But of course, in some cases it’s not all of you that were examined passed.”
The NUC executive secretary said the commission had granted extensions to some universities that failed to meet up the required standards.
“We also felt a lot of investments have gone there and at the level of management we said let’s give them one year extension to remedy the issues identified. You have to give people chance,” he added.
Ribadu urged the university to build on its achievements and avoid compromising standards in staff recruitment and student enrolment.
“This is just the beginning because it’s now that you have a solid foundation. Now, you are a university and not just a probationary period.
“You now have to build on the structures that you have started, which means in terms of quality, you should not compromise in terms of recruitment of staff, and number of students. As a private university, you should have a benchmark, you should have standard,” he said.
Cosmopolitan University was granted an operational licence to commence academic activities on May 15, 2023.
The institution was among the 37 private universities that were granted licences by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Carl Adams, vice-chancellor of the university, described the presentation of the permanent operational license as “momentous” for the institution.
“This is a recognition of the quality processes and transparency processes that we have put in place to develop quality education for our students,” Adams said.
He described the licence as a stamp of approval that the university was moving in the right direction and adopting best practices.
“We build on the best practices in the UK, in the states and of course in Nigeria,” he said.
