By Patrick Odey
Akwa Ibom State University, located in Ikot Akpaden, Mkpat Enin local government of the state, has achieved full accreditation status in all its academic programmes.
The institution achieved the feat during the recently concluded accreditation exercises conducted at different intervals, by the Council of Engineers of Nigeria and the National University Commission.
The Vice Chancellor Professor, Nse Essien, who disclosed this at a media interaction with our correspondent on Saturday, attributed the feat to ” deliberate effort and investment” aimed at ensuring that the institution and its certificates are recognised globally.
He listed all the engineering programmes given full accreditation status by COREN to include B. Eng in chemical and Petrochemical Engineering,B. Eng.in Electrical /Electronic Engineering. B. Eng in Civil Engineering and B. Eng in Marine Engineering.
Others include B. Eng in Mechanical Engineering and B. Eng in Agricultural engineering. The accreditation status will expire on November 19,2026.
Professor Essien said 16 academic programmes in six faculties were assessed and given full accreditation during the NUC accreditation exercise. This includes faculty of Management Sciences, faculty of Agriculture and faculty of Arts. Others are faculty of Education, faculty of Engineering and faculty of Physical Sciences
“From 14th -18th, November,2021, COREN carried out a re-accreditation visitation to undergrade Engineering programme in our University. The law establishing COREN empowers it to accredit all Engineering programmes in Universities, Polytechnics, and Technical colleges to ensure that these institutions have adequate facilities for the production of graduate engineers at all levels.
“Accreditation is COREN”s quality assurance mechanism for the teaching and learning of Engineering courses in Nigerian Universities. During the exercise, the area of assessment include curriculum, staffing, physical facilities,( workshop, laboratories, library etc) funding,as well as management of programmes.
“In like manner, the NUC has a statutory mandate to accredit academic programmes in all Nigerian Universities. In pursuant of this mandate,NUC organized an accreditation of academic programmes in Akwa Ibom state in October/November,2021.
” In the COREN accreditation exercise all the six engineering programmes were assessed. The result shows that all our engineering courses have obtained 100% full accreditation which will be valid till November, 2026. In the NUC accreditation exercise,16 academic programmes in six faculties were assessed, and all gained full accreditation” he said.
While thanking the management,staff and students and the visitor to the Institution, Udom Emmanuel, for the feat, the VC promised to sustain the accreditation.
“I want to comment the visitor of our the University, Governor of Akwa Ibom state for all the support he has given to the University, which has culminated to the feat the University has attained today. We are most grateful to the management team, the Senate,staff and students of the University whose effort and commitment has enabled the University to become a global academic brand” Easien said.