The London Academy of Business School (LABS), in collaboration with the University of Sunderland in the UK, has been given permission to operate in Nigeria by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
As a result, the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) in Abuja is scheduled to hold their first academic session in January 2024.
Already, students in Nigeria will be held to the same academic standards as their counterparts in the UK, according to a delegation from the University of Sunderland led by Dr. Derek Watson, an associate professor in the faculty of business law and tourism. The management, meanwhile, has pledged to respect the NUC’s guidelines and the local environment.
“The meeting with the Executive Secretary was very productive, the University of Sunderland has over 30 years of experience,” Dr.Watson told reporters after his meeting with the NUC’s Executive Secretary.
“The importance of adhering to the compliance procedures is what we have decided upon today. In addition, we would seek out LABs with qualified teachers and active consultants who could provide us with credible academics to deliver our programs. The experience the students will have is identical to that of students studying in England.
Dr. Larry Jones-Esan, President/Director of Studies at the London Academy of Business School (LABS), also spoke and explained that the purpose of the trip to the NUC was to obtain the operational license necessary to conduct business in Nigeria.
“The meeting with the NUC today is for us to get the recognition that we are allowed to run the Sunderland courses in Nigeria,” he claimed. Therefore, we do not require NUC accreditation; rather, we require recognition. This is crucial because, if any course is offered in Nigeria without their recognition, the degree is useless and the student cannot participate in NYSC.
“Therefore, in order for us to do that, we must first obtain their consent before heading out to begin recruiting students. Otherwise, we risk hurting our own cause. If they come here and accuse you of doing something wrong, you will have to pay a fine before you can escape it because it will be excessive.
“So what we did was invite those individuals, and I, the CEO of the London Academy Business School, ensured that they were informed of our plans.
The London Business School and the University of Sunderland are collaborating on an extremely significant project today. We had a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, and the discussions went according to schedule.
“They want people to work with them, but only if they do so in a way that respects the authorities, the system, and the environment, one thing that came out very clearly.
“As a result, we’ll check to see that all of our actions adhere to the rules. We have some very lovely rules, but if you don’t abide by them, things could get awkward. There is a problem and a challenge when only 700,000 of the two million applicants for university admissions in Nigeria each year are accepted. We believe we have arrived at the right time to help them address this issue.
We appreciate the University of Sunderland representatives who collaborated with the London Academy of Business School to ensure that this produced results as quickly as possible. “.
When asked if the NUC had granted them a license, he responded, “This is the reason we are here; we have gotten the license, which is recognition to run this process. That will be done within a week, and we are hopeful that this will be completed soon.
