Maiyaki made this known when he received a delegation from the International Institute of On-line Education (IIOE), China, an affiliate of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), led by Professor Jiansheng Liang.
He told the delegation that their visit to the NUC coincided with the period of significant expansion of the commission’s activities aimed at increasing access to university education.
The acting executive secretary said Nigeria currently has a total of 274 universities, comprised of 62 federal, 63 states and 149 private universities.
He, however, said that the country is currently facing significant problem of access as the existing institutions could not meet the demand for university education.
Maiyaki said it was imperative to bridge the gap, and reiterated the commitment of the commission towards the establishment of additional universities across Nigeria to bolster accessibility and meet escalating demands for tertiary education.
He noted that the 149 private universities could only cater for approximately 10 percent of the Nigerian university population, but agreed that they need time to mature and expand their capacities.
Maiyaki said that the NUC had launched the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards, developed in collaboration with the academia and industry stakeholders.
He informed the IIOE’s Chinese delegation that the NUC also recently introduced guidelines on Transnational Education, encompassing six competitive models.
Earlier, the team leader, Professor Liang, who spoke through UNESCO-ICHEZ consultant, Mr Roger Yanwen Jieo, said they were in Nigeria to cultivate highly skilled and technically proficient talents, foster collaboration between TVET and the private sector, and recruit and train masters in technical and pedagogical fields.
Others include the conduct of applied research and development, implementation of effective community engagement, and supporting innovative development in TVET.
