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Tag: NUC

  • NUC accredits varsity’s programmes

    NUC accredits varsity’s programmes

    Over 90 per cent of academic programmes run by the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger State, has been accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibrahim Kolo, has said.

    Announcing the outcome of the 2012 accreditation at the 43rd regular Senate meeting of the institution, Prof Kolo said of the 19 programmes presented, 17 got full accreditation status. The Department of Business Administration got interim accreditation and would be revisited in two years.

    He added that except for the Department of Public Administration that was denied accreditation, other departments met the standards of the NUC.

    Prof Kolo said efforts were being made to represent the Public Administration Department for accreditation, adding that the newly-established programmes would be presented in 2014.

    He urged the staff of the affected departments not to rest on their oars. He expressed displeasure over the lackadaisical attitudes of some academic staff to duty, advising them to live up to the standards expected of lecturers by participating fully in the academic work of the university.

    In another development, the university has held a one-day orientation for freshers to align them with the rules and regulations of the school.

    Speaking at the event, Prof Kolo charged the students to conduct themselves in an upright manner and shun acts that could breach the peace of the university.

    He also advised them to be hard working and committed to their academic activities so that the investment of their parents would be justified. He added that the policy of rewarding good behaviour and hard work was still in place.

    Speaking earlier, the chairman of the occasion, the Director, Entrepreneurship and Counselling Centre, Prof Frank Carew, warned students not to indulge themselves in anything that would not add value to their academic pursuit. He urged them to make good use of the conducive learning environment provided by the university to achieve their dreams.

    Highlight of the event included lectures by the Dean, Student Affairs, Dr John Jiya and Director of Academic Planning, Dr Muhammad Mustapha.

  • NUC disowns 2013 Nigerian varsity ranking

    NUC disowns 2013 Nigerian varsity ranking

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) has disowned some lists posted online claiming to rank the best 100 universities in Nigeria.

    In a statement made available to The Nation, the management of the agency noted that it has come up with only one ranking – in 2002 – both based on performance of universities in accreditation exercises.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the National Universities Commission (NUC) has been drawn to some purported lists, making the rounds on the internet, of the ‘Top 100’ and ‘Top 50’ universities in Nigeria, which were alleged to be the outcome of a non-existing ‘annual university rankings’ by the National University Commission (sic).

    “It has to be stated, unequivocally, that the lists did not emanate from the NUC. The Commission therefore totally dissociates itself from them.

    “The first ranking of Nigerian universities by the NUC in 2002 was based on the performance of the universities’ academic programmes in the 1999 and 2000 accreditation exercises.

    “The 2002 ranking was based on data on the following: Percentage of academic programmes of the university with full accreditation status; Compliance with carrying capacity (measure of the degree of deviation from carrying capacity); Proportion of the academic staff of the university at professorial level; Foreign content (staff); Foreign content (student); Staff with outstanding academic achievements; Research output; Student completion rate; Ph.D graduate output for the year; Stability of university calendar; and Student-to-PC ratio. The results of the above were duly published by the Commission and the same will be done for future exercises.”

    However, the agency noted that it is currently conducting institutional accreditation on the basis of which a form of ranking would emerge at a proper time.

    It said: “In May, 2006, NUC considered introducing institutional accreditation to complement programme accreditation. Institutional accreditation is a process of evaluating the activities of an institution against the criteria established by an accrediting agency. These include governance and administration, financial stability, admissions, personnel services, institutional resources, student academic achievement, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with constituencies inside and outside the institution.

    “Following wide consultations, the instruments for this exercise were designed and pilot-tested in six universities (Three federal, one state and two private) in 2010. The instruments were fine-tuned, based on the findings of the pilot exercise and NUC was ready for the full-blown institutional accreditation, which took off on 27 November, 2011. A total of 26 universities, selected, based on the fact that at least 70 per cent of all their programmeshad full accreditation, were involved in the exercise.

    “The above is the build-up to the next ranking exercise by the NUC, which outcome will be made public, appropriately.”

     

  • Akwa Ibom varsity to be equipped for NUC accreditation –Akpabio

    GOVERNOR Godswill Akpabio yesterday assured management of the stated-owned institution, Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), that it would be equipped adequately for the accreditation visit of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    Already, the institution had earlier scaled through NUC’s verification exercise which culminated in the approval of three new faculties and 17 additional academic programmes for the university during the 2011/2012 academic session.

    Speaking during the 3rd matriculation ceremony of the school in Ikot Akpadem, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area campus of the institution,

    Akpabio said the level of success attained by the institution would not have been possible without the support of highly qualified professionals in different fields of knowledge.

    The Governor explained that when he came in 2007, he introduced free and compulsory policy which was to be implemented by a conventional tertiary educational system to absorb most of the graduates of the scheme.

    Akpabio also stated that he sent a bill to the State House of Assembly changing the name of the institution from Akwa Ibom State University of Technology (AKUTECH) to Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU).

    Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Chrysantus Asuka, the governor informed the gathering that government had already awarded contract for the construction of four 650 bed spaces capacity hostels, two each for Ikot Akpaden and Obio Akpa campuses.

    His words: “I want to say unequivocally that we are satisfied with the Management of the University over the efforts of scaling through the National Universities Commission’s verification exercise which culminated in the approval of three new faculties and 17 additional academic programmes for the university.

  • Varsity administrators get training on NUC database

    University administrators have praised the Nigerian University System Management Portal (NUSMAP), a database platform created by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for documentation of student, workers, facilities and research details online.

    They spoke during a two-day training organised for Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Academics), Directors of Academic Planning and ICT Directors of universities in the Southwest Geo-Political Zone at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

    Praising the initiative, one of the participants, Prof Sena Bakre, DVC (Academic), Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, said apart from giving Nigerian universities more web visibility, it would reduce the paper work required of universities by the NUC.

    “It is a laudable initiative for the system. It will place Nigerian universities on the world pedestal. It will reduce paper work we do and the risk of transferring information will reduce. It will make communication easy between the NUC and universities.

    However, she also called on the Federal Government to address challenges of power, supply of ICT infrastructure and ICT training for workers that will manage the portal for each institution.

    “However, power is a problem. No university can go virtual without stable electricity. Then how many universities have enough computers to run this? It means the DAP, Faculites and ICT units must be virtual. The internet connectivity must be perfect if not all the information will be in jeopardy,”s he said.

    Speaking on the portal, Hon Paul Adingwupu, chairman Gucci Chis, said the firm and NUC is already assisting universities to upgrade their ICT facilities so they can access the NUSMAP without problems. He also said the training will continue until members of the university community master the use of the portal.

    “We are already assisting universities to improve their ICT facilities. We have assisted the University of Uyo and the University of Calabar. The issue of power is not peculiar to education alone but the portal is always there on the internet when they want to connect to it. For those not able to attned this training and those that have not fully mastered the training, there will be other trainings,” he said.

    In his speech, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof Julius Okojie at the Federal University of Technology, Minna said that difficulties encountered in accessing information about any of the nation’s universities would be put to check with the use of the ICT portal.

    Speaking through the Commission’s ICT officer, Miss. Patricia Eromesele at a three day workshop organised for Deputy Vice Chancellors (Academics) and Directors of Academic Planning of 22 Universities in the North Central zone of the country said the on-line application would also assist the ivory towers process, and share data with NUC, the public, and other government agencies for adequate planning and management.

    According to Okojie when the system is fully operational, it has the capacity to capture the activities of all the directorates of the commission, which include Universities programme Accreditation, Universities Academic Standards, University System Annual Review Meeting (USARM), Universities Research and Innovation, Finance and Budget, among others.

     

     

    He told participants that the system has been tested and in use in some universities in the country, adding that the facility would also ensure easy access to NUC on information online issues that relates to students, staff, university and course staus among others.

    Emphasizing the role of modern technolgy and human resources in the development of the education sector, Okojie said, “We are leveraging on the gains of the NUC’s database project for Nigerian universities. The NUSMAP initiative will further vouchsafe NUC’s commitment to bringing Nigerian University system to standard in line with the 21st century realities “.

    Declaring the workshop open the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Musbau Akanji, said the that the leading role played by the university in ICT development in the country in the last five years with students of the institution winning first position in Soft Ware Technology may have informed the choice of the University for the workshp.

    Represented by Prof. Abdullahi Bala, the deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Akanji said, ” It is a great honour to host the workshop for 22 universities, including FUT, Minna, but it did not come to us as a surprise because, FUT is the home of ICT in the nation.”

    END

     

  • All Redeemers University’s programmes accredited by NUC – spokesman

    All Redeemers University’s programmes accredited by NUC – spokesman

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) has accredited all the programmes of the Redeemers University, Mowe, Ogun, with the approval of Tourism Studies, History and International Relations.

    Head of Corporate Affairs of the University, Mr Adetunji Adeleye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday that the accreditation started in Nov. 2012, and was concluded in March 2013.

    “The Redeemer’s university has finally joined the league of the universities that have all their programmes fully approved and accredited by the NUC as it received full accreditation status.

    “The programmes– Tourism Studies, History and International Relations– were approved during the visit of the regulatory body in November 2012, “ he said.

    According to him, from 30 per cent accreditation of its programmes 18 months ago, the university finally met the stipulated criteria for accreditation of all its programmes by the NUC.

    Adeleye also quoted the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Debo Adeyewa as saying that the result of the accreditation was the manifestation of the grace of God upon the university.

    The vice- chancellor said the university would remain committed to its vision of becoming a renowned centre of learning for aspiring future leaders. (NAN)

  • U.S. varsity seeks FG’s intervention on accreditation

    U.S. varsity seeks FG’s intervention on accreditation

    The American Heritage University of Southern California in the United States had called on the Federal Government to prevail on the National Universities Commission to grant approval to the institution to establish a campus in Nigeria.

    The Promoter of the university, Prof. Tony Ogiamien, made the call at a meeting with the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, in Abuja.

    Ogiamien said the university was ready to extend its cross-border education programme to Nigeria.

    He said the NUC invited a team from the university to Nigeria and they held a successful interaction in December 2011.

    This, he said, followed a letter of intent for the establishment of a campus in Nigeria.

    Ogiamien, however, told the minister that since then no response had been received from the NUC.

    “In 2010, the university’s management on policy and programme took a decision that cross-border education project should be extended to Africa.

    “It was in the light of that decision that the university wrote a letter of intent to the NUC, requesting the establishment of its campus in Nigeria in July 2011.

    “In turn, the NUC invited us to Nigeria in November 2011 for interaction that ended successfully.

    “Since then we have never gotten response from the NUC till date.

    “If granted licence to operate in Nigeria the university would help to increase educational opportunities for the teeming Nigerian youths and also create job opportunities as part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda, “the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Prof. Ogiamien as saying at the forum.

    The minister, in his remarks, said that establishing more universities would be in the interest of the Federal Government.

    He said this was in line with the Federal Government’s desire to create access for university education.

     

  • NUC chief charges Ford fellows to help develop education

    NUC chief charges Ford fellows to help develop education

    The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Julius Okojie, has called on the International Ford Fellowships Programme Alumni Nigeria (IFFPAN), to square up to the challenges of national development.

    Speaking in Calabar, Cross River State, he called on the beneficiaries of the fellowship to make available the expertise they have garnered over the years to the country.

    Okojie, who was represented by a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Professor Akaneren Essien, said the NUC would work with the association in areas of common interest for the good of the Nigerian University System and attainment of national objectives in the various professions.

    IFFPAN is an association of 175 Nigerian beneficiaries of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Programme (IFP), who have completed their Master’s and doctoral degrees in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada.

    He challenged them to move from being passive recipients to active participants in the development of their communities.

    Earlier, Country Representative of the IFP, Dr Yemisi Akinwande, lauded the successful graduates for completing their programmes without any negative reports.

    She called on them to make sure they work hard to distinguish themselves as they integrate themselves into the community, and also ensure the society benefits from them. “I am proud of you, but I am sure I would be prouder of your achievements in future. Our vision is to be a platform for credible leaders, who will influence policy and decision making at national and regional levels and also support the emergence of new change agents in Nigeria and West Africa,” she said.

     

     

  • UniAbuja a mockery of university system – Panel

    UniAbuja a mockery of university system – Panel

    The special visitation panel set up by the Federal Government in July to investigate the activities of University of Abuja since its establishment has described the institution as a mockery of the university system.

    Presenting the panel’s report to the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i on Friday in Abuja, the chairman of the panel, Dr Theo Osanakpo, blamed the under development of the university on poor governance system and financial impropriety.

    Osanakpo said the report indicated that the 2025 target set for the completion of the full master plan of the university might not be realised as only six per cent of the plan had been achieved after 24 years.

    He identified ranking of unapproved programmes, admission irregularities, lack of a governance system and lack of a proper accounting procedures as major challenges facing the institution.

    “Looking at all these irregularities going on in the institution, I would say that UniAbuja is a mockery of the university system; the facilities at the mini campus do not reflect the funds that the Federal Government give.

    “There are no sporting facilities for students, no good lecture halls and the facility is way below the needs of the more than 70,000 students of the institution running the undergraduate, post graduate, sandwich, part-time and distance learning programmes,’’ he said.

    Osanakpo said that the staffing of the institution and the environment were very deplorable and the government needed not just to give funds but to monitor the administration of the funds for effective usage.

    He also recommended that the Vice Chancellor be “bench marked” periodically by the governing council to guarantee standard.

    The panel also recommended that prospective students of the institution must have the JAMB requirement and write the post-UTME examination to curb the excesses of admission.

    It also recommended that the Students Union Government (SUG) should be reinstated in the institution to allow for peer interaction which also enhances their productivity level and help to bridge the gap between students and the school management.

    Responsing, the minister thanked the panel for the report, saying that “UniAbuja in spite of its proximity to the education headquarters and the regulating body, NUC, has been a challenge.’’

    Rufa’i assured the panel that the report would be implemented and that within two weeks, the ministry would produce a white paper that would be presented to the president.

    “The president approved this panel so I know that he would be glad to resolve the issues brought to the fore through this report.’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government on July 25 inaugurated the panel to investigate the financial and governance system of the university since 1988 when it was established after the suspension of four courses due to irregularities.

    The courses are medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture and engineering. (NAN)

  • A medical college’s push for recognition

    A medical college’s push for recognition

    Despite its reputation, the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) is facing some challenges threatening its growth. But it is not losing hope for a better tomorrow report ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA and KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE.

     

    Its founders did not foresee the problems it is now facing. When the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) was formed 33 years ago, it was with high hopes of giving qualified medical doctors further training. It has been discharging this obligation diligently despite its challenges.

    These challenges now seem to be getting to the institution, especially that of getting the National Universities Commission (NUC) to recognise its graduates, who are conferred with fellowships of the institution. The fellowship is supposed to be the equivalent of Ph.D

    No matter, the institution is forging ahead. It is graduating 264 medical doctors who have spent a five years earning qualifications that will make them into specialists in different medical fields.

    It will be a happy ceremony for the fellows and their families having passed the required three-stage examinations (Primary, Part I and Part II) to become specialists in the 15 faculties of the college including Anaesthesia, Dental Surgery, Family Medicine, Pathology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Dental Practice, Opthalmology, Radiology, Orthopaedics, Surgery, Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Public Health, Psychiatry and Internal Medicine.

    Their qualifications and experience will earn them career progressions in the medical profession as they can aspire to become consultants.

    The college’s leadership will also be celebrating its production of more than 4,000 fellows – 3,132 of them by examination. It has 3,801 candidates still seeking to attain this position after passing the examinations, which is evidence that its training is sought after by medical doctors

    But, poor funding, inadequate infrastructure and recognition by some agencies like the NUC remain its headache and may make it difficult for the institution to effectively achieve its mission to “plan, implement, monitor and evaluate postgraduate programmes required to produce medical and dental specialists of the highest quality, competence and dedication, who will provide teaching and optimal healthcare for the people.”

    Explaining how these factors are slowing down the college, its President, Prof Victor Wakwe said said despite its role of training and regulating highly-specialised medical personnel, it only depends on subventions from the Federal Ministry of Health, which are grossly inadequate to meet its needs for equipment, infrastructure and manpower.

    It receives N2.5 million as overhead monthly, and the ministry foots the salary bill of its 116-strong workforce.

    To be better positioned to carry out its statutory duties under Cap N59 Laws of the Federation, Wakwe is seeking that the college be recognised by the Federal Ministry of Education as a tertiary institution. That way, it will benefit from intervention grants from agencies like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), and NUC which it can dedicate to building infrastructure, conducting training and carrying out researches.

    Lamenting the dearth of infrastructure and manpower, Wakwe said: “As at now we have a staff strength of about 116 carrying the load of work in the college. The number of candidates that puts in for our fellowship examinations are increasing tremendously. For the September to November 2012 examinations, we have 2,395 candidates for the Primary Examination; 1,118, Part I; and 288 for Part II.

    “This is a big load for the college to carry judging that our infrastructure is very poor. We do not have an examination hall that can take up to 500 candidates presently. The second wing of the Learning Resources Building we were authorized to construct since 2010 is about 50 per cent completed.

    “The money for the building comes in trickles. There are supposed to be four wings of this building. We moved to our present sight in 1997 which means this wing was completed by then. If it took 15 years to build half a wing of a building, how many years will it take to build the remaining two and a half wings? Something must be done and urgently too. We need help both from government and outsiders.”

    Apart from the building, the college is in need of a Clinical skill and simulation laboratory valued at N500 million, used to examine patients and make diagnosis; e-library, equipment for all 15 faculties, among others.

    Recognising that the funding it requires will not come with the present structure of operation, Wakwe said the college wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim seeking audience with the Ministry of Education; Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Science and Technology; on collaborative funding of the college. However, he said they got no response to date.

    “We need a lot of help to improve our infrastructure and purchase equipment for our college activities. We want the Federal Ministry of Education to recognise us as a tertiary education institution and request the TETFUND to give us a grant to build an examination/multipurpose hall that will take 1,500 candidates.

    Also, the ministry should request NUC to give us grants to improve our research capabilities. There are monies they are they are begging the universities to come and collect,” he said.

    Another touchy issue Wakwe said the College has to deal with is the non-recognition of its fellows that do not have PhDs.

    Wakwe lamented that the rise of such fellows to professorship is being stunted because their universities insist on Ph.Ds based on the directive of the NUC that it should be the minimum qualification for lecturers in the system since 2008.

    But Wakwe said the following the NUC’s instruction, the college advised the agency against such measure on the basis that its fellowship is deeper and richer in content than a PhD.

    “NUC called a meeting with us in 2006 in which we reached a compromise; but it was not until this year NUC sent out a letter on July 24 that they agreed to our position, but the letter was badly worded because it stated inter alia that ‘in the interim’ our Fellowship is acceptable until NUC introduces a Ph.D programme.”

    Prof Wakwe added: “We don’t object their introducing the programme.

    “Our advise is that they should allow academic clinical lecturers who are voracious for knowledge to take up these degrees voluntarily as some of us have done. There are clinical lecturers in this country who have the fellowship plus masters or PhD certificates. They did it on their own without coercion.

    The information for the NUC is that any postgraduate medical programme it has drawn without the approval of the Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria will be disaccredited.”

    One of such is Prof Tolu Odugbemi, Vice-Chancellor of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), Okitipupa. In an interview with The Nation, he said the professional training provided by the various fellowships earn medical doctors requisite recognition in the workplace. He said academics need only to add publications to these fellowships to earn promotions, even professorship.

    “In medical circles, you can go into professional training by doing the various fellowships and you will be recognized by the hospitals and ministries. If you are an academic, once you have the fellowship, you just need to produce publications and you can become anything. I have always supported the idea that once you have a fellowship and publications, you can become a professor. That is why people who are not in medicine should not dabble into how much people can write. But there are some of us that just like acquiring degrees to keep us busy. I am a fellow of the postgraduate Medical College and I also have a PhD,” he said.