The Claretian University of Nigeria, CUN, has crossed a defining threshold: the National Universities Commission (NUC) has formally granted the Institution its permanent license to operate as a private university in Nigeria — cementing years of academic investment, institutional discipline, and unmatchable Claretian educational vision and mission in the right footsteps of Padre Anthony Mary Claret, the Holy Father Founder of the Claretian Missionaries. This is a miracle. And excellence is always found when the supreme divinity intervens.
The license was presented to the Board of Trustees Chairman, Very Rev. Fr. Henry Omonisaye, CMF the Vicar General of the Claretian Missionaries (representing the Father General, Very Revd Fr Mathew Vattamattam, CMF) at the University’s 5th BOT Meeting, held between April 21–22, 2026, at Maryland, Nekede, Owerri, following a CUN campus inspection tour that drew wide commendation for visible infrastructural growth. “This license is not just a regulatory approval; it is a public affirmation that Claretian University belongs among Nigeria’s most credible academic institutions. We receive it with gratitude and a deeper sense of responsibility,” the BOT Chairman noted with satisfaction.
All the programmes presented for NUC accreditation passed. The Governing Boards of the University – Board of Trustees and Governing Council in their separate meetings approved a review of Claretian University fees to reflect economic realities, while protecting access to low-income students. It mandated stricter enforcement of examination integrity and directed that any staff facing any form of sexual harassment allegation should be suspending immediately pending formal investigation. The school had no tolerance for any form of abuse of office.
In one of its most important decisions, the Board established a strategic commission, chaired by Prof. Izu Marcel Onyeocha, CMF to develop a 25-year growth plan anchored in research excellence, academic succession, and international partnerships, including a consortium arrangement with neighbouring Universities.
The Alumni Association of the University which was inaugurated with the pioneer graduating class in November 2025, received BOT backing to establish a liaison office supporting graduates as they build careers across Nigeria and beyond.
The meeting concluded with the Board reaffirming its trust in the University Management and its commitment to building an institution that is distinctly Claretian in spirit, rigorous in scholarship, and very dedicated in its service to Nigeria and beyond.
