The National Universities Commission has deployed 26 professionals in eight accreditation panels to assess postgraduate programmes at the Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute, University of Ibadan.
A Deputy Director at the NUC, Mrs Uchenna Obidiagbo, disclosed the eight panels constituted for the exercise, when the delegation of the commission visited the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof Kayode Adebowale, on Monday.
Obidiagbo said the programmes slated for accreditation are Plant Breeding; Medicinal Plant Research and Drug Development; Petroleum Geoscience; Avian Medicine and Vaccine Production and Quality Control; Reproductive Health; Sports Management and Policy Development; Environmental Management; and Mineral Exploration.
Speaking, the UI VC, Adebowale said the exercise was particularly significant as it marked the first accreditation of postgraduate programmes at PAULESI, a continental initiative of the African Union Commission hosted by the University of Ibadan.
Adebowale, described accreditation as a critical process that enables universities to measure themselves against global standards and best practices.
He said, “Accreditation exercises enable universities to measure themselves against global standards and best practices.”
The vice-chancellor expressed optimism that the accreditation would provide a template for the continuous improvement of postgraduate education in Africa.
He also assured the accreditation teams of the university’s support throughout the exercise.
He explained that PAULESI emerged through a competitive bidding process under the African Union Commission’s vision to strengthen science and technology education across the continent.
“PAULESI is aimed at promoting research and producing a critical mass of researchers capable of addressing Africa’s developmental challenges,” the vice-chancellor stated.
Adebowale noted that similar institutes were established in Kenya, South Africa, Algeria and Cameroon, while Nigeria serves the West African sub-region through the University of Ibadan.
He stressed the need for universities to maintain standards that would keep them globally competitive.
“Although public universities face unique challenges, they remain central to the success of higher education development in Nigeria,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the accreditation panels, Prof. Saleh Ado, head of the Reproductive Health Team, said the team was in the university to evaluate whether the programmes met standards set by the NUC.
He said, “The accreditation exercise is important for quality assurance and maintaining academic standards in Nigerian universities.”
Ado described the accreditation team and the university as “partners in progress,” urging all stakeholders to adhere strictly to NUC guidelines and procedures.
He added that the exercise would help strengthen the quality of the programmes and ensure that they continue to meet national and international standards.
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