This study examined the impact of National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation indices on students’ educational outcomes in public universities within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. Specifically, the research investigated the relationship between curriculum adequacy and students’ educational outcomes, as well as the extent to which library resource adequacy influences students’ academic achievement. The study adopted an ex-post-facto research design using the correlational method. The population comprised 613 junior and senior academic staff of the University of Abuja, from which a sample of 184 respondents (30%) was selected through stratified random sampling based on academic rank. Two self-developed instruments were employed for data collection: the Accreditation Questionnaire (AQ) containing 20 items structured on a four-point scale, and the Students’ Educational Outcome Checklist (SEOC), which captured students’ academic achievement using cumulative grade point average (CGPA). The instruments were validated by experts in Educational Management and Foundations, and reliability was established using Cronbach Alpha method, yielding a coefficient of 0.78. Data were analyzed using coefficient of determination for research questions and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistics for hypotheses testing at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that curriculum adequacy has a significant positive relationship with students’ educational outcomes (r = 0.566, r² = 0.320, p = 0.000), accounting for 32% variance in academic outcomes. Similarly, library resource adequacy significantly relates to students’ academic outcomes (r = 0.525, r² = 0.275, p = 0.000), explaining 27.5% of the variance. Both null hypotheses were rejected, confirming that curriculum adequacy and library resource adequacy are significantly related to students’ academic achievement. The study concluded that NUC accreditation indices are not merely procedural requirements but critical quality assurance mechanisms that substantially influence students’ learning experiences and academic performance. It was recommended that university management should ensure periodic curriculum review and updating, prioritize adequate funding for library development, and that the NUC should strengthen post-accreditation monitoring mechanisms to ensure sustained compliance with established standards.
Keywords: Academic Achievement, NUC accreditation indices, Quality Assurance, University of Abuja, curriculum adequacy, library resource adequacy, students' educational outcomes
