NUC Accreditation Teams Visit AUST, Commend The University for Innovation and Academic Growth
The National Universities Commission (NUC) Accreditation teams visited the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja as part of the Commission’s nationwide programme for evaluation and quality-assurance.
The visits, which covered Accounting, Computer Science and Software Engineering, Civil Engineering, Business Administration and Petroleum & Energy Resources Engineering, provided the university with opportunities for institutional strengthening, feedback, collaboration, and strategic improvement.
The first visit took the team to the Accounting Department where the AUST President, Prof. Azikiwe Peter Onwualu welcomed the visiting team.
He thanked the NUC for its commitment to academic excellence and quality control measures across universities in Nigeria.
Onwualu recalled that the university began with postgraduate programmes in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Materials Science & Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering, attracting scholars from across Africa, many of whom studied on full scholarships.
The President also highlighted the university’s milestone approval in 2018 to commence undergraduate programmes, including Accounting, Business Administration, and Public Policy, with full undergraduate academic activities beginning in 2022.
He explained how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted students sponsorship and international enrolment, but noted that AUST responded with resilience by embracing online learning and strengthening academic structures.
The AUST President reiterated the university's commitment to deepening technology-driven education through the AUST Innovation Hub (AUSTInspire), an ecosystem where students develop creative solutions and have recorded notable achievements, including a national award in 3D printing technology through collaboration with partners in the United States.
According to him "innovation now cuts across all departments, including Accounting and Management Sciences, where digital tools and problem-solving skills have become essential components of learning"
The Chairman of the NUC's Accounting accreditation team, Prof. Bala Sulaiman, commended the university for its hospitality and noted that the purpose of accreditation was not to criticize institutions but to observe, document, and to provide guidelines for future improvements.
He emohasized that findings from the visit would be submitted to the NUC headquarters for follow-up actions. Another team member, Mrs. Hadiza Ramallam, Deputy Director, Open and Distance Education, NUC, conveyed a goodwill message from the NUC Executive Secretary and encouraged the university to sustain its pursuit of innovation and academic excellence.
This was followed by the visit of the accreditation panel for Computer Science and Software Engineering.
Receiving them, the President of AUST traced the AUST’s partnerships with PASET, TOTAL Energies, PAMI, and the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, which have supported research, training, and scholarship opportunities for postgraduate and undergraduate students.
This panel was led by its Chairman, Prof. S. K. Ahmed, who expressed appreciation for the warm welcome and stated that accreditation was both an evaluative and collaborative process that helps universities identify strengths and areas needing enhancement.
The next accreditation panel that came, visited the Civil Engineering department where they were warmly welcomed by the AUST President, Prof. Azikiwe Peter Onwualu. This panel was led by Prof. Chidi Donatus Okereke, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri who commended the university’s steady progress and highlighted the team’s mission to ensure high quality in academic staffing, facilities, library resources, and student development.
He reassured the institution that accreditation was aimed at supporting long-term growth. The panel also included Prof. Abdulfatai Murana, Professor of Civil Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Mr. Solomon, Directorate of Quality Assurance, NUC.
The NUC Accreditation teams also visited and inspected the facilities, documents, laboratory facilities at the Petroleum & Energy Resources Engineering department where the Chairman of the panel, Prof. Ibrahim Suleiman, Professor of Petroleum Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, thanked the President and affirmed that accreditation aims to acknowledge strengths while recommending improvements. He was accompanied by Prof. Okewale Akindele, Professor of Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State. He was accompanied on the visit by Mr. Idris Nasiru, Directorate of Quality Assurance, NUC.
The next accreditation team visited the Business Administration department and was led by Prof. Ahmed Audu Maiyaka of Bayero University, Kano.
He praised AUST’s serene environment and academic culture, explaining that the team was present to verify the facilities and assess areas requiring further development. He was accompanied by Prof. Mahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe of Newgate University, Minna.
Across all the visits, the NUC accreditation panels commended AUST for its hospitality, innovation-driven academic culture, and clear commitment to improving higher-education standards while the university's leadership expressed gratitude for the visits and reaffirmed AUST’s dedication to producing globally competitive graduates who will drive Africa’s scientific, technological, and socio-economic advancement.