The Ministry of Tertiary Education in Niger State has begun checks on proliferation of unaccredited and substandard institutions operating in the state.
LEADERSHIP Sunday's findings revealed that the proliferation is mainly noticed among health technology institutions training community health workers and schools of nursing operating with just letters of consent from the Ministry of Tertiary Education without regulatory agencies' accreditation.
In view of the developments, at a meeting with proprietors and heads of private tertiary institutions, the commissioner for tertiary education, Prof. Muhammad Yakubu Auna, assured of strong commitment to sanitise the sector and strengthen regulatory compliance.
He said the ministry had received numerous complaints on the activities of some private institutions, particularly in the health education sector.
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Professor Auna disclosed that the ministry only grants consent to establish the institutions but the final approval to operate is given by regulatory agencies.
He emphasised that such consent must be followed by full accreditation from relevant regulatory and professional bodies before institutions commence academic programmes.
"It is unacceptable for any institution to operate for three to four years with only a consent letter from the ministry without seeking proper accreditation. Niger State will not tolerate the operation of mushroom institutions that compromise standards and endanger public trust," he added.
The commissioner stressed that institutions found operating without full compliance with guidelines and regulatory requirements risk having their consent withdrawn and may be delisted from official records.
Consequently, he announced that the ministry would soon commence a comprehensive inspection tour of private tertiary institutions across the state in collaboration with professional associations and qualified health educators to ensure fairness, objectivity and adherence to professional standards.
