He joined the services of the National Universities Commission on 4 October, 1993 as a Research Officer II and rose to the rank of Deputy Director, Innovation and University Industry Linkages in the then Department of Research and Innovation in 2013. He has had extensive experience with monitoring research projects in Nigerian Universities, as well as the administration and development of modalities for the allocation and utilization of research grants, teaching and research equipment grants and Nigerian Expatriate Supplementation Scheme (NESS).  After his promotion to Deputy Director in 2013, he was in charge of Innovation and University-Industry Linkage, which sought to improve interaction between Universities and Industries including organizing the Nigerian Universities Research and Development Fair (NURESDEF).  He was posted as Deputy Director, Programme Planning at the Directorate of Academic Planning in June 2017.  At this desk, he was responsible for processing requests from all Universities for new academic programmes, conduct of resource verification visits, production of list of approved and accredited programmes in Nigerian Universities, amongst other programme related issues.

He served on World Bank assignments including the Joint NUC/Universities Investment Credit Project Proposals Drafting Committee and Project Implementation Manual (PIM) Production Team for the proposed World Bank Nigerian University System Innovation Project. He was a Member of the defunct Nigerian Universities’ Network (NUNet) Committee. He served with the Sub-Committee on University Education, Etsu Nupe Committee on the Review of Higher Education in Nigeria and was a Member Standing Committee on the Establishment of Private Universities (SCOPU). From 2011 to date, he participated in national assignments including Secretary, Team 6 of 2011 Visitation Panel Reports White Paper Drafting Committee 2011; Member, Special Presidential Visitation Panel to University of Abuja in 2012; and Member Fact Finding Committee to Investigate Petitions in Federal University Dutsin-Ma in 2015.  He is a member of the Governing Council of the Gombe State University of Science and Technology, Kumo; and he presents the Commission on the Governing Board of the Computer Professional Registration Council (CPN) for the period 2019-2021.

He was appointed Ag. Director, Research, Innovation and Information Technology on 6 August, 2019.  Mal. Faruk is married with children.

Email address: lmfaruk@nuc.edu.ng

• Coordinating and Monitoring Universities’ Projects.
• Sponsoring research in areas relevant to national development in Nigerian Universities.
• Developing and monitoring research policy for the Nigerian University System (NUS) in line with national goals and needs.
• Developing and implementing modalities for conducting periodic research assessment exercises in Nigerian Universities for funding purpose.
• Collection and collation of timely and up-to-date data on Nigerian Universities for dissemination to the general public.
• Identifying and facilitating innovations and best practices in teaching and learning in the Nigerian University System.
• Fostering collaborations between government, industry, universities and other stakeholders in Higher Education.
• Developing NUC capacity on innovative approaches to efficient and effective service delivery.
• Develop a blue print of areas of intervention in the Nigerian University System for donor support.
• Provide project management services in collaboration with donor agencies and partners for the NUC.
• Coordinate national and international linkages/collaborations in higher education.
• Coordinate NUS special projects on Research and Innovation.
• Promoting the publication of books and journals in Nigerian Universities
• Developing blueprints of areas of intervention for donor support for the promotion of research activities in the Nigerian University System

Division is headed by Mrs. Mercy Nwoke (Deputy Director)

Units

• Knowledge acquisition Unit
• Innovation management Unit
• University-Industry Collaboration Unit

Division is headed by Dr. Jimoh Ajani (Deputy Director)

Units

1. Research Management Unit
2. Research Publications Unit
3. Conferences and Workshops Unit

Division is headed by Mr. Anthony Adejumo (Deputy Director)

Units

1. Infrastructure & Equipment Unit
2. Network Administration Unit
3. ICT Services and Applications Unit

Units

1. Physical Holdings Unit
2. E-Resources Unit

Division is headed by Dr. Mohammed Ayuba (Deputy Director)

Division is headed by Dr Dauda Bashir (Deputy Director)