Mr. Ladan joined the services of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in September 1993 as a Research Officer II. He was promoted to Research Officer I in January 1997 and subsequently to Senior Research Officer in January 2000. In 2003, he attained the rank of Principal Research Officer, and in 2007, he was promoted to Assistant Chief Research and Innovation Officer. He was further promoted to Chief Research and Innovation Officer in 2010 and later to Deputy Director, Special Duties and Protocol, in January 2014.

In the course of his career at the NUC, Mr. Ladan has served in various capacities across several divisions, including the Postgraduate Division (1994–1996), University Research Division (1996–2001), Funds and Cooperation Division (2001–2009), Special Projects Division, Research Planning and Administration Division, Innovation Division, e-Learning Division, and University–Industry Linkages, among others. In addition, he has served as both a member and secretary of several internally constituted NUC committees.

Mr. Ladan has attended several local and international training programmes in Nigeria and abroad, including Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Among the several programmes include those of Centre for Management Development (CMD), Lagos, in September 1998; Royal Institution of Public Administration International (RIPA), London, United Kingdom November 2008; Public Affairs Service (PAS), U.S. Embassy, in collaboration with the Centre for Democratic Research and Training, Bayero University, Kano (BUK) in March 2009 and West African Research and Innovation Management (WARIMA), Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Ibadan.

He was also exposed to the programmes of West Africa Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA), University of Jos, in March 2014; Association of West African Universities (AWAU), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in October 2016; Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Port Harcourt Rivers State in November 2019 and SKYE Training, Hessian Institute for Continuing Education and Training, Rhein-Main/HLFT, GROB-Geran, Germany

Mr. Ladan has also represented the NUC in many committees including serving as a member and delegate in several bilateral and multilateral cooperation sessions involving Nigeria and countries including Namibia, Chad, Cuba, China, the United States of America (USA), as well as the Republic of Benin. Some of his accomplishments in these area include as Member, Technical Committee on the Implementation of the Annual FME National Education Innovation Exhibition (NEIE); Member (Delegation), Nigeria–Namibia 3rd Session of the Joint Cooperation, Windhoek, Namibia, July 2008.

Other responsibilities he undertook were as: Member, Inter-Ministerial Sub-Committee on Drafting Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for Linkages and Collaborations with Overseas Institutions; Member (Delegate), Nigeria–Cuba 5th Session of the Joint Commission of Cooperation, October 2008; as well as Member, Inter-Ministerial Preparatory Committee for the 4th Session of the Nigeria–Chad Joint Commission of Cooperation, among others.

His versatility with the workings of the Commission enabled him to also serve as Member, Technical Committee on the Implementation of the NUC Partnership with the Centre for Accountability, Transparency and Good Leadership on the Student Advisory Group Framework for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition; Secretary, Implementation Committee on the NUC Partnership with Valparaiso University, Indiana, USA and Member, National Standing Committee on Diaspora, spearheaded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

In 2021, Mr. Ladan was appointed Acting Director, Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (DSDE), where he played instrumental role to the establishment of Directorate of Entrepreneurship in Nigerian Universities, which encouraged Vice Chancellors to appoint appropriate personal to handle the Directorates in their domain.

He also worked with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) to foster training and understanding of what entrepreneurship education should be and led to the introduction of entrepreneurship courses as compulsory for all Nigerian Students to enhance job creation for themselves on graduation and also employ others, thus reducing unemployment burden in Nigeria, among others

He had since being in Acting Capacity in the DSDE, a position he held until his confirmation as a substantive Director on the 31st of December, 2025 and posted to Head, the Directorate of the Establishment of Private Universities (DEPU).

1. To consider applications received by the Commission from individuals and organization for the establishment of private universities;
2. To evaluate the applications received, review the draft strategic documents submitted and conduct Site Assessment Visits to proposed private university campuses in line with the guidelines and report on same to the Executive Secretary;
3. To prepare detailed Final Recommendation Report to the NUC Management Committee for approval & licencing of a proposed private university; and
4. To maintain a database on all applications for the establishment of private universities in Nigeria;

Division is headed by (Deputy Director)

Functions

1. Examination and analysis of the academic plans of the Proposed Private Universities as contained in the Draft Academic Brief Vol. I;
2. Examination and analysis of the course structure and course synopsis of the Proposed Private Universities as contained in the Draft Academic Brief Vol. II;
3. Ensuring that the contents of the Academic Brief and other academic arrangements of the Proposed Private Universities are in consonance with NUC Guidelines and Regulations;

Handling any other matter pertaining to the orderly academic growth and development of the Proposed Private Universities.

Units

1. Academic Brief Analysis Unit
2. Course Structure & Synopsis Analysis Unit

Functions

1. Examination and analysis of the Draft Master plan and the associated reports of the Proposed Private Universities;
2. Ensuring that the contents of the Draft Master Plan and other physical campus development plans are in consonance with NUC Guidelines & regulations on physical campus development;
3. Assessing the physical facilities and infrastructure on campus of the Proposed Private Universities and advice on their adequacy or otherwise;
4. Handling any other campus planning matter in the processing of applications for establishment of Private Universities.

Units

1. Masterplan Analysis Unit
2. physical Facilities Unit

Functions

1. Examination and review of the Draft University Law of the Proposed Private Universities;
2. Ensuring synchrony between the provisions of the University Law and that of the Academic Brief Vol. I on matters of Governance arrangements of the Proposed Private Universities;
3. Studying and advising on the statutorily required legal documents, (Certificate of Occupancy, Certificate of Incorporation of the Proprietor, Deed of Assignment, Deed of Transfer etc) submitted by the Proposed Private Universities;
4. Liaising with the Department of State Securities (DSS) on the security clearance of the Board of Trustees (BOT) members of the Proposed Private Universities;
5. Interpretation and advising on the provisions of the enabling Act E3 LFN 2004 for guidance and compliance.

Units

1. University Law Analysis Unit
2. University Governance Unit

Head of Division is Mrs. Mercy Nwoke (Deputy Director)

Please find below the Code of Conduct for Private Universities in Nigeria

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