Abuja: Education stakeholders have urged the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, to retract her remarks on the accreditation of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) universities in Nigeria, describing the comments as misleading. The call is contained in a statement co-signed by Jerry Ini and Dr. Yusuf Maso on behalf of the Concerned Education Stakeholders and made available to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Minister’s remarks in a recent interview with the online platform DCL English had caused anxiety among stakeholders. The statement noted that the minister during the interview claimed that only the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) was accredited to offer university degrees through the open and online learning mode.
Stakeholders described this claim as inaccurate, pointing out that Nigeria had seven Federal Government-approved Open Universities licensed by the National Universities Commission (NUC), as well as 34 approved Distance Learning Centres in conventional universities. These institutions are authorised to offer recognised academic programmes through Open, Distance, and Online Learning in line with regulatory standards.
The stakeholders emphasized their concern over the Minister’s assertion, which they labeled factually incorrect. They noted that the current administration had approved licenses for two additional private Open Universities in 2025, adding to four licensed in 2023 and the National Open University of Nigeria established in 2002, bringing the total number of fully licensed Open Universities to seven.
They warned that the minister’s remarks could mislead prospective students, employers, and the general public, potentially undermining the credibility of duly licensed institutions, their staff, students, and graduates. They also highlighted that several public and private universities had adopted Open, Distance, and Online Learning with the approval of the NUC, which remained the statutory regulator of university education in the country.
Further concerns were raised about some approved institutions not being reflected on the Federal Ministry of Education’s Education Support Services Portal, which the minister reportedly directed the public to consult for verification. The stakeholders believed that the delay in updating the portal, combined with the minister’s remarks, has created room for misinformation and unfair criticism of legally established institutions.
The stakeholders urged the minister to publicly clarify and retract the statement to restore confidence in Nigeria’s Open and Distance Learning system. They also called on the Federal Ministry of Education to update and publish a comprehensive register of all approved universities and recognised Open, Distance, and Online Learning institutions to eliminate confusion and improve public access to accurate information.