Engineering, Mass Communication, Architecture, 31 Other UNICAL Programmes Get Full NUC Accreditation
Judex OKORO and Ebi COLLINS
Engineering, Mass Communication and Architecture and 31 other academic programmes of the University Of Calabar (UNICAL) have been granted full accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
In a circular dated June 6, 2024, and signed by the Acting Director of Accreditation, Engr. Abraham Chundusu, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of NUC, stated that "in line with the provisions of the Act, the Commission organised the accreditation of academic programmes at the University of Calabar, Calabar, in October/November, 2003," and after thorough scrutiny, granted full accreditation to the following academic programmes, namely Engineering, Mass Communication, Education Administration and Planning, Education English Language, Guidance and Counseling, Home Economics, Environmental Education, Elementary Education, Educational Technology, Education Geography, Architecture and Educational Psychology.
Others are Estate Management, Urban and Regional Planning, Fine and Applied Arts, Survey and Geo-informatics, Environmental Protection and Resource Management, Mathematics, Microbiology, Science Laboratory, and Statistics. Under faculty of engineering Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering were all granted full accreditation.
Also mentioned are Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Works, Political Science, Human Physiology, Linguistics and Communication Studies, Music, Pharmacology, Radiography, Physiotherapy, as well as Policy and Administrative Studies. Other UNICAL programmes including Forestry and Wildlife, Anatomy, Law, and Physics also received NUC interim accreditation.
The National Universities Commission maintained that the accreditation granted would last for a period of five years before any further reviews.
Section 18 (1) of the Education (National Minimum Standard and Establishment of Institutions) Act CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, empowers the National Universities Commission to lay down Minimum Academic Standards for all academic programmes taught in Nigerian universities.
Speaking with newsmen, the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Odey Osha, said that the dream of the students and staff have been realised following the full accreditation of five departments in the faculty while two departments have got approval to run course while waiting for its own final accreditation.
Departments that NUC gave full accreditation include Agricultural and Bio-Resources Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental engineering, Mechanical, engineering and Petroleum engineering. The remaining two that got approval include Electrical and Electronics and Computer and are waiting for accreditation in two years’ time.
According to Osha all the departments have students and they are prepared to compete to ensure that they rank among the top five universities offering quality engineering programmes.
He said: I call on parents to take advantage of the NUC accreditation and bring their children to UNICAL. Don’t deny them their future. We targeting to have the best facility and working towards it. Senate of the university approved engineering programme in 2016, but NUC approval came in 2019/2020 academic session.
“After three years (2023), NUC gave us accreditation and was announced officially in June, 2024. We thank the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, and the entire management for their doggedness in fighting for engineering faculty to be accredited. I also commend all the head of departments of engineering for working tirelessly to chive the collective success irrespective of lean resources.”
