NUC Approves Reintroduction of Management Courses at FUNAAB

— University to Commence Admissions into Revived Programmes by 2025/2026 Session

By Bankole Taiwo

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted official approval for the reintroduction of management degree programmes at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State.

The approval followed a successful Resource Assessment Visit by the NUC to evaluate the proposed courses. According to a statement issued on Monday by the Acting Head of Public Relations at the university, Mr. Olasunkanmi Olajide, the approval was contained in a letter dated October 17 and signed by Abubakar M. Girei, Acting Director of Academic Planning, on behalf of the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu.

Olajide noted that the approved programmes include B.Sc. Accounting, B.Sc. Banking and Finance, B.Sc. Business Administration, and B.Sc. Economics, along with a newly introduced M.Sc. Agroecology.

“This significant development marks a major milestone in FUNAAB’s academic growth,” Olajide said, adding that the programmes are being restored after their suspension in the 2017/2018 academic session following a Federal Government directive restricting agricultural universities from running management-related courses.

It would be recalled that FUNAAB began offering management courses in 2017 before they were discontinued in 2018 when the then Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, instructed specialised universities to focus on their core mandates.

Olajide further explained that in 2021, the university’s Senate renamed the former College of Management Sciences (COLMAS) to the College of Entrepreneurial and Development Studies (COLENDS), reflecting the institution’s broader vision of promoting entrepreneurship and development-focused education.

“With this approval, FUNAAB will commence admissions into the reintroduced degree programmes under COLENDS for the 2025/2026 academic session,” he added.

The move comes after persistent advocacy from the university community, including its Students’ Union Government (SUG), which in 2021 urged the Federal Government to reinstate the delisted management programmes.

Speaking at the time, Comrade Michael Oloyede, then SUG President, said reviving the college would make agricultural education more attractive by integrating business and management principles into agriculture.

He noted that offering management science courses in agricultural universities aligns with global standards and does not undermine their core agricultural mandate.

The College of Entrepreneurial and Development Studies (COLENDS) houses five departments—Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Economics, and Entrepreneurial Studies—all of which hold full NUC accreditation.