The House of Representatives in Nigeria has appealed to the Federal government to instruct the National Universities Commission (NUC) to immediately accredit the Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy in Enugu, enabling it to independently award degrees.
The House has also mandated its committee on tertiary education to ensure that the NUC complies with the provisions of the Act. Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, brought a motion on the floor of the House, reminding his colleagues of section 6a of the Federal College of Dental Technology (Establishment) Act 2017. This Act was passed by the House in concurrence with the Senate and assented to by President Muhamadu Buhari in 2017.
According to Kalu, despite the enactment of the Act and the visit of the NUC to the College for an inspection tour of its facilities in 2020, the NUC has continued to deny the college the accreditation it deserves to perform its degree awarding functions.
The lawmaker expressed concern over the NUC’s insistence that the institution, which has been awarding Ordinary National Diplomas (OND) and Higher National Diplomas (HND) for years, can only offer degree programmes in affiliation with the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). This is despite the NUC’s own findings and report confirming that the institution is well-equipped with both manpower and adequate facilities to independently award degrees.
Kalu emphasised that the institution was founded in 1955 to curtail capital flights and meet medical and manpower needs in the country. He pointed out that the NUC’s refusal to accredit the College for degree awards also violates Section 4(1a) of the NUC Act.
He stated, “The House notes that the National Assembly enacted the Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy (Establishment) Act, 2017, and according to Section 6(a) of the Act, the College is empowered to award degrees, diplomas, and certificates for courses provided for under the Act. The House further notes that the Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy (Establishment) Act, 2017, which provided a legal framework for the College, was established in 1955 to curtail capital flights and meet medical and manpower needs in the country, NUC’s refusal to accredit the College for degree award is also a violation of Section 4(1a) of the NUC Act.