Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has voiced apprehension about the growing trend of private universities in Nigeria awarding an increasing number of first-class degrees. Speaking at Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, he warned that this practice could erode academic standards, especially if public universities adopt similar approaches without strict regulation.

Osodeke highlighted the risk of academic integrity being compromised by pressure to inflate grades, potentially producing graduates with high honors but lacking real-world knowledge and skills. He also attributed part of the problem to the inadequate foundation provided by primary and secondary schools, where students often achieve excellent grades despite deficiencies in basic competencies.

He emphasized the importance of upholding the quality and credibility of Nigerian higher education, urging reforms to ensure that first-class honors reflect genuine academic excellence achieved through diligence and mastery, not inflated grading.

This issue has ignited debates about the true value of first-class degrees in Nigeria and whether the trend in private universities reveals deeper challenges within the nation's education system.