Sunday Ehigiator
Brigham Young University (BYU)-Pathway Worldwide, Idaho, United States, has secured accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to operate as a transnational higher education institution in Nigeria, marking a major milestone after a six-year approval process.
The President of BYU-Pathway Worldwide, Brian Ashton, announced the development yesterday, during a special devotional service of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in Ikeja, Lagos.
Ashton described the accreditation as a significant achievement for the institution and expressed appreciation to the NUC for its support throughout the approval process.
“We are grateful to the NUC for recognising BYU. It has been six years in the process. It’s been great to work with everyone at the NUC, and they’ve been very supportive,” he said.
He added that the university hopes to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s education sector by equipping students with globally recognised qualifications while enabling them to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme and compete for employment opportunities in the country.
“We hope to be able to serve the people of Nigeria and have our students do their national service and be employed in whatever opportunities they’re qualified for,” Ashton said.
According to him, the NUC’s approval currently covers six of the university’s eight bachelor’s degree programmes, while accreditation for the remaining two programmes is still being processed.
“We offer eight bachelor’s degrees, and the approval is for six of those. The other two are accredited by a separate institution, and so we’re working on that,” he explained.
BYU-Pathway Worldwide delivers fully online degree programmes designed to provide students with internationally recognised qualifications that can be used for employment and further education across the world.
Speaking on the affordability of the institution’s programmes, the Senior International Manager for the Africa Region, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, Victor Ukorebi, said the university offers one of the most competitively priced degree programmes available in Nigeria.
“With ₦420,000, you can earn a degree, and this degree is comparable to what you can earn if you travel to the United States of America. With the kind of quality of education we offer, you can’t find it at a price as competitive anywhere else,” he said.
Ukorebi noted that the institution combines affordable tuition with internationally recognised academic standards, making quality higher education more accessible to Nigerians.
Also speaking, a member of the Africa West Area Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Christian Chigbundu, described the NUC accreditation as a major opportunity for Nigerian students.
He disclosed that about 27,000 students are currently enrolled in BYU-Pathway Worldwide across various academic disciplines, adding that the accreditation reinforces the institution’s commitment to producing graduates who are academically competent and morally grounded.
“Today, we have what we call a restored and refined institution that teaches you all that you need to know. Not only acquiring knowledge that life will give you, but knowledge that will also help you to grow and become like the Saviour, Jesus Christ,” Chigbundu said.
He expressed confidence that the accreditation would expand access to globally recognised education for more Nigerians while promoting both academic excellence and character development.