External Audit as an Albatross to the Nigerian University System
The National Universities Commission (NUC) is an agency of the Federal Government for external quality audit process in Nigeria. This agency utilizes the Basic Minimum Academic Standard Document to rank Nigerian universities through accreditation. Despite its quality assurance procedure, the quality of university education has been on steady decline. The university community has been critical of the role operations of this body. Therefore, the paper examined the activities of NUC and academia’s perception of its external audit functions. In addition, the paper identified resentment by the academia towards this Agency as including infringement on institutional autonomy, perception of adequate funding as antidote to poor quality as against accreditation, ethical problems associated with accreditation, engendering of compliance culture and lack of capacity by a single agency for effective supervision of about 250 universities in Nigeria. The paper recommended systemic and institutional transformation as prerequisite for sustainable audit in the Nigerian university system.
Keywords: National Universities Commission, Quality, Nigerian University System, Accreditation, Audit
