The National Universities Commission
has said online degrees obtained from
foreign institutions will not be accepted
as means of seeking employment or
doing other legitimate business in
Nigeria.
The commission also slammed
Maryam Abacha American University
in Niger Republic, saying it has been
inundated with enquiries from some
Nigerian applicants, who have been
offered admission into the university.
NUC’s Director of Information and
Public Relations, Mr. Ibrahim Yakassai,
made the announcement during a
press briefing on Thursday evening in
Abuja, against the backdrop of some
foreign universities, which admitted
students from Nigeria.
“We wish to restate that as the only
quality assurance agency for
universities in Nigeria, the NUC is
maintaining its stand that degrees from
Maryam Abacha University will not be
accepted in Nigeria,” the commission
stated.
The NUC, which also discredited all
part-time cross boarder education in
Nigeria, therefore warned citizens
against patronising online universities
which offer academic programmes
without physical contact with their
students.
According to him, the Nigerian
constitution has no backing neither
does it recognise such degrees
obtained online, saying students look
for cheap means of acquiring
qualifications to avoid competition at
home.
He said, “Nigeria will not recognise
online degrees. Online degrees are not
accepted in Nigeria at the moment.
The Nigerian constitution does not
even give recognition to such degrees.
Those who run out of Nigeria for study
outside this country are those looking
for cheaper degrees. It is either they
cannot pass the examinations or they
do not possess the minimum entry
qualifications.”
The NUC criticised the entry
qualifications being used by Maryam
Abacha American University, saying
they were poor.
Yakassai said concerned students
were offered admissions on part-time
basis with a graduation time of four
semesters for programmes including
Nursing, Medical Laboratory Sciences
and Public Health.
He said, “In Nigeria, the duration for a
full time degree programme is not less
than three years for direct entry and at
least, six years for part-time, while
professional programmes in Sciences,
Engineering and Health Sciences,
including Nursing, Medical Laboratory
Science and Public Health are not
offered on part-time basis in Nigeria.
http://www.punchng.com/news/nuc-bans-online-degrees-abacha-varsity-certificates/

Kinda agree, but most people who enroll for online degrees are folks who are employed full time and cannot go to school for a FT program.