The Nation Newspaper

Tag: accreditation

  • Accreditation team hails UNILORIN

    Accreditation team of the National Universities Commission (NUC) has hailed the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) for what it called “excellent achievements”. Prof M.T. Egri-Okwaji and Prof M.O. Edoga, who led the team, praised the efforts of the institution’s principal officers after a re-accreditation.

    The team said the institution is living up to expectation as a citadel of learning and character.

    The re-accreditation was a national exercise through which the commission assessed academic programmes being run by universities and rated them against the national education standard. The programmes can only be accredited after an acceptable aggregate level of standard is achieved.

    The team moved round departments, inspecting the facilities used for instruction and practice. They also obtained information about capability and efficiency of each department.

    Some of the faculties visited included Physical Science, Agriculture and Law, among others. Students were interviewed randomly by the team during the process.

    CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the team got good responses from most students, who expressing satisfaction with the method of teaching in the university.

    However, a student, who pleaded for anonymity, said most universities prepare ahead for the NUC team by providing almost sufficient facilities before the accreditation.  The NUC team, however, warned universities not to cut corners in obtaining license.

  • Accreditation teams hail UNILORIN

    The Leaders of the National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation teams to the College of Health Sciences (COHS) and the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof M. T. Egri-Okwaji, and Prof. M. O. Edoga, have congratulated the management of the university for equipping the Clinical Skills and the Chemical Engineering laboratories.

    The dons gave the commendation while presenting the teams’ observations on their separate accreditation visits to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyuAmbali in his office.

    Egri-Okwaji noted that the Clinical Skills Laboratory has put   the University far ahead of many of its contemporaries, adding that the curriculum of the University is adequate. He also commended the university’s e-library and added that the facilities for members of staff were adequate.

    However, he advised the university to expand its lecture theatres.

    On his part, Edoga, who observed that running engineering programmes is capital intensive, said that what the university is doing with its Chemical Engineering programme is unique.

    Edoga also said that the department was not found wanting in terms of the academic content and encouraged them to purchase more equipment and expand classroom facilities.

    In his remarks at the end of the presentation, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services), Prof Y.M. Fakunle, thanked the teams for their objectivity and for what he called a “thorough, comprehensive in-depth report.”

     

     

     

  • Accreditation for Trauma Centre

    The Ondo State government has announced the accreditation of its Trauma and Surgical Centre, Ondo, for residency training programme by the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria.

    A statement in Akure by the Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, said the accreditation certificate was presented to Governor Olusegun Mimiko at the weekend by the college president, Prof. Rasheed Arogundade, in company of the college registrar, Prof. Oluwole Atoyebi.

    Mimiko said the massive investment of his administration in healthcare delivery can only remain a sustainable benchmark for Africa, if the residency training programme is pursued with all sense of responsibility and commitment.

    The governor said the centre has conducted over 500 major surgeries, including brain and spinal surgical operations.

    He assured that the proposed Ondo State University of Medical Sciences would build on the enviable platforms already established to ensure the sustainability of qualitative healthcare system development.

  • Students plead for hostels, accreditation

    The students of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua in Ikot-Ekpene, have called on the state government and the management of the institution to address accommodation problems and non-accreditation of courses in the institution.

    Although they praised the government and the new school management, led by Israel Affia, the Rector, for giving them a serene and secure learning environment, they, however, said all was not well with them in the institution.

    The Assistant Secretary of the newly-inaugurated Students’ Union, Mr Fred Daniel, a HND II Computer Science student, told The Nation that accommodation problem was affecting the students negatively.

    “We are having hostel accommodation issues here. Most students want to live on the campus because there is always steady light here more than in the host community where most of us are living now. We can make more use of the school library as well as departmental libraries to enhance our academic performances.  The environment is clean, serene and secure.  It will enable us do better academically,” he said.

    Daniel also said the non-accreditation of some of the Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes is retrogressive.

    He said students prefer to complete both their ND and HND programmes in the school, instead of being forced to look for another institution to finish up their programmes.

    The Students’ Union Director of Information and HND II Mass Communication student, Anthony Ebong, listed some of the affected courses without HND accreditation to include: Building Technology; Electrical–Electronics Engineering; Civil Engineering; Urban and Regional Planning; Estate Management and Quantity Survey among others.

    Meanwhile, the Mass Communication students of the school have appealed to the government to provide them with a platform to go on air.

    They spoke when The Nation visited their studio while they were rehearsing news presentation. The students said they wanted to go on air as well as have a page in a newspaper. They appealed to the government to buy airtime for them. They said this would place the school on the national and international map as a centre of excellence.

    On safety on campus, the school’s  Chief Security Officer, Mr Friday Samuel, assured students’ safety is guaranteed.

    “The whole school is fenced-round, we have security patrol on duty 24 hours; we have car bomb detectors and the one we use to check individuals. Our trained security officers are strategically located and on surveillance day and night, on and off campus,” he said.

     

  • Peacock College gets accreditation

    The Chairman, Governor Board of Peacock College UK, Chief Olusegun Phillips,  said it is important for institutes of learning to position themselves towards imparting knowledge needed by professionals to achieve and sustain excellent practices.

    In a statement, the college said Phillips spoke shortly after the college received the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certification.

    The college got the CPD accreditation just as it concluded its affiliation to ISA Education.

    Phillips was quoted as saying that the two accreditations had positioned and empowered the college to continuously upgrade professionals throughout their life careers.

    “CPD is becoming increasingly more mandatory in professional career development and it varies significantly to suit various business and individual requirements,” he said.

    The certification of the college, according to him, will boost its commitment to the upgrading of professionals through effective academic and professional programmes.

    “The CPD membership is another step in further enhancing professional trainings offered by the college. With the changing labour market and new legislations coming from the European Union Commission regarding professional development and training, Peacock College UK sees the certification as a great boost,’’ he added.

     

  • Salem varsity gets full accreditation

    Salem varsity gets full accreditation

    It was another landmark in the history of a young Salem University Lokoja as it played host to the National Universities Commission in the accreditation visit on April, 2014.

    The visit of the NUC to the University was to access and inspect the physical facilities/structures as well as the academic content of the programmes (Criminology & Penology, Economics, International Relation & Diplomacy and Peace & Development Studies) offered in the Department of Social Sciences and (Public Administration) Department of Management Sciences.

    The team was impressed at the acceleration of physical and man power development recorded by the University within the last six years of its take off.

    The programmes received 100 per cent (full) accreditation from NUC. Salem University has recorded several milestones and has continued to offer the best in improving the standard of education in Nigeria.

    Prior to this, Salem University got 100 per cent (full) accreditation in Accounting and Business Administration Programmes.

  • PLASU prepares for accreditation

    The authorities of the Plateau State University (PLASU) are set to welcome the National Universities Commission (NUC) team for the accreditation of its courses by enhancing facilities on its Bokkos campus.

    The accreditation is expected to take place next year.

    The Public Relations Officer of the university, John Agams, said in a statement that the ongoing infrastructural development includes three projects, Entrepreneurship Centre, Faculty of Management Sciences, Lecture Theatre and offices which when completed, will facilitate accreditation of relevant courses.

    Governing Council of the university chaired by Prof Sam Ale is seeking speedy completion of the projects to achieve the accreditation.

    Ale said: “The university has a target to meet considering that the accreditation of its programmes will take place next year and we have to put all necessary requirement in place to ensure the accreditation succeed.

    “All contractors and consultants handling our projects are urged to double up their efforts to avoid unnecessary delay of our programmes. This is why the university is prompt in it’s obligation by paying its contractual liability to contractors.”

    The council directed the school management to hold regular meetings with the contractors and consultants so as to iron out grey areas that may affect the timely completion of the projects.

     

     

    The director of works of the university, Mr Randy Aku, said the authority has been constant in supervision of projects as well as settlement of contractual liabilities.

    The PLASU has been battling for accreditation of its programmes since it’s establishment in 2007. The NUC has rolled out certain conditions the new university must meet in the area of infrastructural development to facilitate the accreditation next year.

     

  • NBTE withdraws poly’s accreditation

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) said yesterday that it was withdrawing accreditation of the programmes offered by the Crown Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, for going against the operational guidelines approved for it by the board.

    The board’s spokesman, Mr. Jacob Abang, said in a statement made available to The Nation that the institution was found to have gone against the directive of the Federal Executive Council on the operation of outreach centres in parts of the country by offering programmes not approved by the board.

    Abang quoted a letter to the proprietor of the polytechnic, dated August 2, 2013 and signed by the NBTE Executive Secretary, Dr. Masa’udu A Kazaure mni, as saying that the withdrawal of accreditation of programmes in the polytechnic became necessary in view of the petitions received from organisations, government agencies and students on the conduct and operation of the polytechnic.

    He said subsequent investigation by the board also showed that the polytechnic was operating in contravention of the Basic Minimum Academic Standards as prescribed by law and has been running National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in 30 centres across the country, particularly in Yenagoa, Kabba, Akure, Ondo and towns in Ekiti State, which is in contravention of the Federal Executive Council’s directive against operation of satellite/outreach centres by tertiary institutions.

    Mr. Abang also said the board discovered that the polytechnic was running unapproved ND programmes in Urban and Regional Planning, Quantity Surveying and Public Administration and had submitted list of students for mobilisation to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in unapproved HND Computer Science and Electrical/Electronics Engineering programmes.

    The board, he said, has directed the polytechnic to stop academic activities in its illegal satellite/outreach study centres; close down the illegal campuses/centres; report these centres to the security agencies where appropriate to ensure that they do not propagate or relocate to other addresses.

    The board also directed the institution to publish a disclaimer of names and addresses of the illegal /satellite campuses in at least two national dailies for the information of the public, as well as ensure that the institution would not engage in any further collaboration or unapproved affiliation with any person/organisation to run any programme again.

    Abang also quoted the Executive Secretary as saying that the board may only allow the institution to resume operation when it is satisfied that the institution has complied with approved standards in line with Part II, Section 15 and 16 of CAP ES LFN 2004.

    The board advised the Directorate of NYSC to put mobilisation of graduates of the polytechnic on hold. It advised the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to stop admission into the ND programmes of the institution until further notice.

  • Anambra varsity may lose Law accreditation

    Anambra varsity may lose Law accreditation

    Anambra State University, Uli, may lose the interim accreditation of its Law faculty, unless urgent steps are taken by the government to forestall such development. And if such happens, it will jeopardise the plans of trainee lawyers in the school to proceed to the Nigerian Law School.

    However, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Anambra State has cried out to Governor Peter Obi to assist the university provide for the basic requirements needed to earn full accreditation from the Nigerian Council of Legal Education.

    In a letter to Obi on Monday, signed by the CLO state chairman, Comrade Aloysius Attah and Secretary, Justus Ijeoma, the group lamented that the interim accreditation has already elapsed while the regulatory body has extended its visit to the campus to June 2013.

    The group noted that six departments in the university recently lost their accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) as a result of failure to meet the required standards, resulting in and anxiety among students and lecturers of the law faculty.

    The requirements for full accreditation of the Law Faculty by the Nigerian Council on Legal Education include: a functional e-library, a law library stocked with certain required books, journals, periodicals and Law reports (both local and foreign), recommended furniture for students and lecturers, as well as efficient and qualified staff.

    Nevertheless, the CLO hailed Obi for improving the infrastructural deficits that had plagued the institution at both Uli and Igbariam campuses prior to assuming office. The group therefore, urged the Governor to maintain the tempo by stepping in to avert the impending loss of accreditation.

    According to the statement “Accreditation withdrawal or denial is a loss situation which neither serves the interests of the government nor that of the people hence the need for this to be averted by any means possible.

    “Most importantly, the Law Faculty of the Anambra State University has gained reputation as one of the best law faculties in the country in terms of performance of it’s graduates at the Nigerian Law School and such a shining light must not be allowed to fade through an avoidable situation.”

     

  • NBTE ties entrepreneurship to accreditation

    NBTE ties entrepreneurship to accreditation

    From now on, polytechnics that fail to start entrepreneurship programmes will not get accreditation for their programmes.

    Abdu Kofarmata, Desk Officer in charge of Entrepreneurship Programme and Education, National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) said this in an interview with journalists at the NBTE capacity building programme on entrepreneurship education for rectors, provosts and head of institutions held at the Covenant University, Ota.

    He said: “Any polytechnic that does not offer entrepreneurship programme and education will not be accredited because entrepreneurship programmes allows for innovations and inventions and you cannot have a sustainable economy growth without innovation which is the key aim of establishing polytechnics.”

    Kofarmata said polytechnics were leading in terms of entrepreneurship education, adding that polytechnic graduates would employ university graduates in the near future.

    “The polytechnic system is the only sector in the education system that has developed the training document for entrepreneurship which includes the curriculum, teachers guide and training manual,” he noted.

    From 2009 to date Kofarmata said the NBTE has trained 1,150 lecturers, 930 in Nigeria and 220 outside the country and “we can say that those institutions now have a vibrant entrepreneurship centers.”

    He urged the administrators to key into the board’s objective for entrepreneurship education and implement same in their institutions.

    “The actual aim of this workshop is to sensitise the Rectors on what we want to achieve with entrepreneurship programmes in polytechnics and the role we want them to play in the discharging of the project. We don’t want them to starve the development or funding of this programme in their institutions.”

    In an interview, Dr Jen Saidu Umaru, Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Bali, Taraba State said the programme was necessary because of the importance of entrepreneurship programme, especially to technical education, which he said cannot prosper without entrepreneurship programme.

    Speaking at the event, Prof Korede Ayo, Vice-Chancellor, Covenent University, said polytechnic graduates be provided a platform to be innovative.

    “We just need a business incubator where polytechnic graduates can walk into to carryout innovations and inventions no matter how small.

    Prof Ayo also said that polytechnics should be funded to deliver their mandate as this will improve the economy and create employment.

    He noted that his Chancellor Prof David Oyedepo once said: “I will consider Covenent University a failure if our graduates will join the army of unemployed graduates combing the streets of the country in search of jobs.”