BY DAYO ADESULU

The establishment and activation of National Universities Commission Data Base project (NUCDB), for universities in Nigeria, will aid them to be among the world best. There have been a lot of positive changes in the management of data and enhanced visibility of our universities since the introduction of this project.

Hon. Paul Adingwupu, Special Adviser to Delta State Governor on ICT/Project consultant on NUCDB, made these disclosures at a 2-day retreat for University of Calabar strategic planning, held recently at the Channel View Hotel, Calabar. It was a gathering of principal officers of the University and some selected stakeholders led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. J. Epoke to brainstorm in charting a new path for University of Calabar.

According to the project Consultant, NUCDB provides an online information system for the storage and retrieval of valuable data such as complete academic records for Nigerian university graduates past and present, automation of result gathering for present and future undergraduates with a standard information storage structure for use in Nigerian universities. He explained that with the University of Calabar, the realization of the strategy aimed at being one of the 20 world best Universities and with NUCDB, is assured.

Adingwupu, while espousing the work ability of NUCDB in relations to efficient management of our university system, stressed that the NUC online project has opened up new frontiers of engagement that would benefit the nation, students, lecturers and the general public.

He said that “the biometric data of new intakes and current university students are captured in line with global practices and once a student registers for a course, the system automatically issues the student a pin number online and the data will be keyed into the NUCDB system of the University which is linked to the NUC portal. The school authority will now have online access to the information of students in various departments. Hon. Adingwupu further stated that lecturers will also be given a user name and a pin number by the system and once lecturers logged in, he/she can access the detailed information as regards the students.

Adingwupu, also used the occasion to unfold the NUCDB system in relation to University Portal Result Module, which has the student and School Admin sections. Each Lecturer is expected to login and enter scores for courses he/she offers. This is then passed to the Head of Department [HOD] of the department who approves and forwards to the Faculty Exam Board where the result is looked into and forwarded to the Senate for Approval. And once this is done, the result is published and the students can view at their own section.

Among other deliverables, Adingwupu said that with the database, NUC can now enforce some of its regulations on standards, such as carrying capacity, accreditation, programme and staff audit with ease, adding that students are also able to check their results online immediately after every examination. And with online access to a virtual library, the Journals, Books and Theses as published by lecturers can be accessed on line through subscription and also be able to access other international books and journals as subscribed to by the NUC.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, of University of Calabar Prof. J. Epoke in his speech said the retreat is timely as he hopes to see the University among the world best. He lamented the fact that no university in Nigeria is rated among the world 20 best universities. He said; “This however is not as a result of lack of intellectualism among the teachers in Nigeria but basically due to poor management of our institutions of learning resulting to poor infrastructure, examination malpractice and low visibility.