The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted formal approval for the reintroduction of management degree programmes at theFederal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, marking a major academic milestone for the institution.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Acting Head of the Public Relations Department of the university, Mr. Olasunkanmi Olajide, the approval followed a successful Resource Assessment Visit conducted by the NUC to evaluate the proposed courses.
Olajide explained that the commission’s decision was conveyed in a letter dated October 17, 2025, and signed by Abubakar M. Girei, Acting Director of Academic Planning, on behalf of the NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Ribadu.
He stated that the newly approved programmes include B.Sc. Accounting, B.Sc. Banking and Finance, B.Sc. Business Administration, and B.Sc. Economics, in addition to a newly introduced M.Sc. in Agroecology.
“This significant development marks a major milestone in FUNAAB’s academic growth, as these programmes are returning after being delisted in the 2017/2018 academic session due to a Federal Government directive restricting management sciences in agricultural universities,” Olajide noted.
The management programmes were initially introduced in 2017 but were suspended in 2018 following a directive by then Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who instructed specialised universities to focus strictly on their core mandates.
The recent NUC approval, however, signals a policy shift that recognizes the importance of integrating management education into agricultural and entrepreneurial studies — a move experts say aligns with global trends in agribusiness and development-oriented education.
In 2021, the University Senate restructured the former College of Management Sciences (COLMAS) into the College of Entrepreneurial and Development Studies (COLENDS) to reflect FUNAAB’s broadened vision of fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in agricultural research and development.
With this renewed approval, FUNAAB will commence admissions into the reintroduced programmes under COLENDS beginning from the 2025/2026 academic session, expanding academic opportunities for prospective students interested in management and entrepreneurship within the agricultural sector.
The development has been welcomed by the university community, particularly by the Students’ Union Government (SUG), which had earlier appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider its 2018 decision.
The SUG President, Comrade Michael Oloyede, had in 2021 urged the reinstatement of the programmes, arguing that the integration of management sciences into agricultural education made the university’s courses more competitive and globally relevant.
Oloyede explained that the former College of Management Sciences enhanced students’ understanding of agribusiness, entrepreneurship, and finance — key elements for transforming agricultural productivity and sustainability.
He emphasized that offering management courses in universities of agriculture was consistent with international best practices and did not undermine the core agricultural focus of such institutions.
Educational experts have also lauded the NUC’s decision, describing it as a step toward creating more holistic graduates capable of navigating both the scientific and business dimensions of agriculture. The inclusion of management and entrepreneurial courses, they noted, will help bridge the gap between agricultural innovation and economic application.
The College of Entrepreneurial and Development Studies (COLENDS) currently comprises five departments — Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Economics, and Entrepreneurial Studies — all of which previously had full NUC accreditation.
With the commission’s reapproval, these departments will now resume full academic operations, offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees designed to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural economy through sound management education and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
This reapproval reinforces FUNAAB’s position as a leading institution in agricultural and development studies, combining scientific research with business and policy insights to prepare students for the challenges of modern agribusiness.
