23/10/2025
NUC Verifies Resources for Dual Mode Programme in FCET Umunze
The National Universities Commission (NUC) on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, commenced a comprehensive resource verification exercise at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Anambra State, in preparation for the commencement of 37 degree programmes under the College’s Dual Mode Mandate.
The two-day verification exercise was a critical step in assessing the College’s readiness for the new programmes. The NUC team evaluated staff strength and qualifications, quality of academic content, library resource, physical facilities, and other essential parameters necessary for the smooth take-off of the Dual Mode programme.
Speaking during the visit, the Provost of the College, Professor Theresa Okoli, noted that FCET Umunze was among the fifteen Colleges approved by the Federal Government for the take-off of the Dual Mode initiative. She recalled that through the Federal Colleges of Education Act 2023, the government granted Colleges the institutional autonomy to run both NCE and degree programmes independently.
According to her, this autonomy has positioned the College for accelerated academic growth, increased student enrolment, enhanced research output, curriculum diversification, and infrastructural expansion.
Prof. Okoli expressed appreciation to the NUC team for their diligence, describing the exercise as pivotal in safeguarding academic integrity and ensuring quality across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
She explained that the College began its degree programmes in 2011 in affiliation with Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, with 13 approved programmes domiciled in three Schools. These programmes, she added, had all been duly accredited by the NUC and had produced graduates of commendable academic and professional standing.
According to her, the introduction of degree programmes has widened students’ access to higher education while strengthening the College’s academic foundation and service delivery capacity.
Prof. Okoli reaffirmed the College’s commitment to ensuring that all programmes under the Dual Mode system align with the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS). She emphasized that the verification exercise was both timely and essential to the College’s quality assurance framework.
“This exercise enables our College to define the minimum content, scope, and quality that every accredited programme must meet. It also provides an opportunity to consolidate our strengths, address identified gaps, and align our programmes with the Commission’s regulatory expectations,” she said.
Acknowledging the rigour of the process, the Provost remarked that such academic scrutiny was necessary for maintaining high standards.
“We deeply appreciate the NUC team, comprising eminent scholars from various institutions, for your dedication to fostering the culture of excellence in Nigeria’s tertiary education system. Posterity will remember your invaluable contributions to nurturing institutions like ours into citadels of learning,” she added.
Prof. Okoli assured the team of the College’s full preparedness for the exercise, commending the Deans, Directors, and staff for their diligence in ensuring that every aspect of the institution’s academic and administrative operations reflected its commitment to quality.
“As our first verification under the Dual Mode mandate, this is a learning experience for us. We are open to new ideas, constructive feedback, and recommendations that will further strengthen our institutional capacity,” she said.
During the exit briefing, the NUC Team Leader, Jude Akubue, commended the College for its impressive facilities and commitment to quality education. He highlighted the strengths and areas needing improvement observed during the exercise.
Other team members, including professors who led the three verification groups across various Schools, presented their findings, praising the College’s infrastructure — notably the micro-teaching laboratory, science laboratories, early childhood education facilities, spacious classrooms, and well-equipped staff offices.
Members of the NUC delegation included Prof. Zakai Mohammed (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria); Prof. Cecilia Essien (University of Calabar); Prof. Aisha Abdullah Ibrahim (NUC); Prof. Vincent Paul (Nasarawa State University); and Prof. Adamu Zubairu Evuti (Federal University of Technology, Minna). Others were Prof. Arimiyau Akanji Sanusi (University of Ilorin), James Nwagwu, Doris Enechukwu, Musa Ali Goniri, and Benedica Adeboya.
Earlier, during the opening session, Akubue outlined the objectives of the visit, explaining that the team was mandated to thoroughly evaluate all 37 programmes in line with the CCMAS requirements. He stressed that the exercise would be meticulous, covering academic content, course structure, staffing, library resources, and physical facilities.
He reiterated that the verification was aimed at strengthening the quality of academic delivery for improved learning outcomes and affirmed that the team would make comprehensive recommendations to ensure a seamless and quality-driven implementation of the Dual Mode programme.
Following the briefing, the NUC team divided into three groups, each led by a professor, to undertake the physical inspection and verification of programmes across the various Schools of the College.
