The London Academy of Business School, in collaboration with the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom, has been given licence to operate in Nigeria by the National Universities Commission (NUC). After meeting with Mr. Chris Maiyaki, interim executive secretary of the NUC, Dr. Derek Watson, who was in charge of the University of Sunderland team, told reporters that the meeting had been very fruitful. The University of Sunderland has been around for more than 30. He mentioned that the Public Service Institute of Nigeria in Abuja is scheduled to hold its maiden academic session in January 2024.
The Faculty of Business Law and Tourism associate professor Watson promised that Nigerian students would be held to the same academic standards as their British counterparts. The management also vowed to adhere to the NUC’s rules and the surrounding area.. “We entered the market first among UK universities. We have come to the conclusion today that adhering to compliance standards is really important. Additionally, we will recruit reputable academics from LABs who are certified teachers and working consultants to offer our curriculum. The students will have an identical educational experience to those who study in England.”
During his remarks, Dr. Larry Jones-Esan, President and Director of Studies at the London Academy of Business School (LABS), indicated that the purpose of the visit to the NUC was to get the operational licence necessary to open an establishment in Nigeria. He stated, “Today’s meeting with the NUC is for us to obtain recognition that we are permitted to operate the Sunderland courses in Nigeria.Therefore, we do not require NUC approval; instead, we require acknowledgment, which is crucial. They cannot participate in NYSC if we provide any courses in Nigeria without their approval. Therefore, we do not want that to happen.
“In order for us to do that, we must first obtain their consent before going out and beginning the student recruitment process; otherwise, we will be shooting ourselves in the foot. If they come here and accuse you of breaking the law, the fine you must pay will be excessive before you can go.As the CEO of the London Academy Business School, I made sure that we informed them of what we were doing before bringing these folks in.
“Today is a crucial day for the relationship between the London Business School and the University of Sunderland. Discussions with the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission went according to schedule as we made sure to do everything correctly. One thing that came out very clearly is that they want people to work with them but work in a way that they respect the authority and respect the system and the environment. So we are going to make sure that everything we do follows the guidelines. We have very beautiful guidelines, but if you fail to follow them, you might run into trouble.
If two million people apply for university admissions every year in Nigeria and only seven hundred thousand are getting a place, that is a problem, and that is a challenge. They want to solve that problem, and we think we have come at the right time.”
“We thank the delegates from the University of Sunderland for working with the London Academy of Business School to make sure that this gives results as quickly as possible.” When asked whether the NUC granted a licence to them, he said, “This is the reason why we are here. We have gotten the licence, which is recognition to run this process.
That will be finished within a week, and we anticipate finishing it soon. We will start running the university in January 2024.” The administrator and CEO of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, Abdul-Ganiyu Obatayinbo, welcomed the team when they earlier visited the institution, which will function as the study facility. The administrator noted that the setting was significantly superior to that of the University of Sunderland in the UK and added that the institution was charged with the duty of developing the skills of public and civil workers.
In addition to other amenities that would facilitate teaching and learning, he said that the institute had a 500-seat auditorium, 12 separate halls with 30-seat capacities, hostels with 202 bedrooms, a hospital, security quarters, a sports complex, and an entrepreneurial centre.Computer science, business and management, and network system engineering are just a few of the courses that will be offered at the undergraduate level, while the master’s level will also offer courses in business administration, international business management, and educational leadership.
