Press Statement: Academic Situation in the Department of Nursing Science Ahmadu Bello University


Posted on: Tue 10-09-2019

The attention of the University Management has been drawn to series of postings mostly on social media platforms by purported students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and others concerning the denial of promotion to some Academic staff as well as purported impending closure of the Department of Nursing Science, Ahmadu Bello University. These developments according to the publication have caused a lot of anxiety, especially among some students.

Although it is true that the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has written to the University withdrawing the Full accreditation status earned after an intense accreditation exercise in November, 2018 by the Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.NSc) programme, the withdrawal of the accreditation is not due to low academic standards or lack of facilities but rather due to, according to the NMCN, having as Head of Department an expatriate, albeit highly qualified, Professor of Nursing Science who is not registered with the Council. It is worth knowing that the said Professor has never refused to register and has since filed an application for registration with the NMCN.  It is important for members of the public to also note that it was the expatriate that raised the Department to the current academic standard that led to the Full accreditation status, by training and mentoring of early career lecturers in core Nursing Science. However, the issue of the withdrawal of accreditation is being discussed jointly in a tripartite effort between the NUC, NMCN and ABU and that intervention of the NUC in particular, together with some stakeholders is yielding promising results which will resolve the issue soon. 

Ahmadu Bello University

Let it be understood by all, especially our students in the Department of Nursing Science that the current situation will in no way affect the graduation as well as subsequent professional qualification of students currently registered or even those to be admitted in future into the Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. 

The news that the Department will be closed down and the students therein have no future, is totally false, mischievous and unfounded.   Management understands that this kind of unfortunate rumours may not be unconnected to those academic staff who have recently been found by the University to lack the requisite academic qualifications to be teaching undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Nursing Science.  This is one of their desperate efforts, by seeking and investing in students’ and parents’ emotions in order to blackmail the University Management into allowing them to perpetrate their illegal occupation of positions they do not qualify for.   No university will ever allow a lecturer whose qualification is Bachelor of Nursing Science, MSc Sociology, PhD Sociology to teach and supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students’ research projects in MSc and PhD Nursing Science. The primary duty of the lecturer is not just to teach but to create knowledge and you cannot give what you do not have.

The University is ever committed to continuously monitor and identify anomalies related to quality and addressing them. Ahmadu Bello University will continue to, having a covenant with the public, exert all of its quality assurance measures, no matter whose ox is gored.  This is not only because the University brand is known for high quality of its products which must be protected and enhanced, but also because that is the only way we shall continue to be naturally ahead of all others.

A.A. Kundila

Registrar