Cosmopolitan University secures permanent licence as NUC urges sustainance of academic standards

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has urged the management of Cosmopolitan University, Abuja, to maintain high academic standards following the institution’s successful completion of its three-year probationary period and the award of a permanent operational licence.

The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Abdullahi Ribadu, gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja while presenting the licence to the university’s management at the commission’s headquarters in Maitama.

Ribadu said the institution had undergone an assessment during its probationary period, which involved examining its academic processes, students, staff and other operational activities before the commission approved its permanent 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 chief explained that institutions that failed to satisfy the commission’s requirements could be granted additional time to address identified shortcomings, rather than immediately losing their operational licences.

He said the decision to grant extensions in some cases was informed by the need to give universities an opportunity to improve, considering the investments already made in their development.

“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 Cosmopolitan University to consolidate its achievements by maintaining strict quality controls, particularly in the recruitment of academic staff and the admission of students.

According to him, obtaining a permanent licence marks the beginning of a new phase in the institution’s development and comes with greater responsibility to maintain established academic standards.

“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 received its initial operational licence on May 15, 2023, authorising it to commence academic activities.

The institution was among 37 private universities licensed during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking at the presentation, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Carl Adams, described the award of the permanent operational licence 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 said the licence affirmed the institution’s commitment to providing quality education and adopting recognised best practices in university administration and academic delivery.

“We build on the best practices in the UK, in the states and of course in Nigeria,” he said.