Nigeria’s private institutions are producing an increasing number of first-class graduates, which has alarmed the Academic Staff Union of institutions (ASUU). At a ceremony celebrating Prof. Andy Egwunyenga, the departing vice chancellor of Delta State University (DELSU), ASUU’s national president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed this worry.
Prof. Osodeke called the trend concerning and said that granting a lot of first-class degrees without strict rules would damage Nigeria’s educational system’s reputation. He pointed out that although honoring academic achievement is vital, the unrestrained manufacturing of these degrees may raise concerns about their veracity.
The ASUU head also called attention to a more important problem: the deteriorating quality of foundational education. As Osodeke put it, “primary and secondary schools are producing students with excellent grades but lacking essential knowledge.” Regardless of the number of accolades a graduate receives, he contended, this creates a precarious basis for further education.
ASUU has previously advocated for more stringent oversight in the educational sector. Although private institutions are addressing educational inequalities, detractors contend that their standards require more examination to make sure they conform to international academic norms.
Parents and students are left wondering: is a private university first-class degree more about reputation than actual academic achievement?
Whether Nigerian universities can combine quantity and quality in their quest to produce top-tier graduates is still a focus as ASUU advocates for higher academic standards.
