The Governing Council is the highest decision-making body of the Institute responsible for the good order and governance of NIEPA and the attainment of its vision, mission, finances, policing, performance quality and reputation. However, the Council is not involved in day-to-day management which is the responsibility of the Management Board headed by the Director General/CE, who is in turn accountable to the Council and the Minister of Education.

The Unit is the Council Secretariat and the engine room of business operations of the Governing Council under the direct supervision of the Registrar. A Deputy or Principal Assistant Registrar normally heads the Unit. The Unit is responsible for the following areas:

1. Providing essential support services and welfare for the members of the Governing Council;
2. Ensuring timely preparation of the meetings of the Council as stipulated in its Standing Orders of meetings;
3. Preparing the provisional agenda for the meetings of the Council, Finance and General Purposes Committee, and other Council Sub-Committees;
4. Preparing documents of Council’s decisions within 72 hours for relevant bodies to implement;
5. Serving ad hoc Committee set up by Council from time to time;
6. Preparing the extracts of the decisions taken at Council meetings and circulating it to all members as well as publishing same in the Official Bulletin for the information of the Institute;
7. Attending and taking minutes at the meetings of the Council and other statutory Committees of the Council;
8. Serving as the Secretariat of all Committees set up by the Council
9. Carrying out other duties as assigned by the Council under the direction of the Registrar.

The Desks of the Council Secretariat handles the following:

1. Council Welfare. Logistics and Transportation
2. Committees of Council Schedules
3. Council Archives/Records/computers
4. Council Facilities & Transportation
5. Approval, processing and monitoring of Council approval on procurement, projects and contracts
6. Handling of public service matters with public policy, government regulations and council decisions.