GOVERNOR Bababjide Sanwo-Olu has been commended for bringing sustainable reforms to the state education sector, which were fast yielding positive results.
This is coming as the National Universities Commission (NUC) gave its approval for 31 out of 37 courses presented to it by the Lagos State University (LASU) for accreditation.
NaijaTimes gathered that
31 of those courses represented 96.0 per cent NUC full accreditation status.
The Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Education, Tokunbo Wahab, made this while reacting to the excellent performance of the institution in the recently released National Universities Commission’s (NUC) Comprehensive Accreditation Exercise for the year 2021.
Wahab who was full of appreciation to the governor Sanwo-Olu for changing the face of education in the state, noted that the current administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S development agenda “is the fastest and most effective strategies in achieving transformational governance in the current democratic experience.”
According to him, the state government’s huge investment in education as the third pillar of the Sanwo-Olu T.H.E.M.E.S’ development agenda has repositioned the state education to become the model for the country.
He said, “Out of 37 courses of the Lagos State University (LASU), presented by the university authority for accreditation before NUC during October/November 2021 NUC Academic Programmes Accreditation Exercise for Nigerian Universities, 31 of those courses representing 96.0 per cent got NUC full accreditation status.”
According to the notification of results letter, written by NUC to LASU and signed by its Director of Accreditation, Dr. Maryam Sali, which was made available to the press, “LASU, during the October/November 2021 Comprehensive Accreditation Exercise conducted across all Nigerian Universities, got full accreditation for 31 out of the 37 courses presented before the Commission with an excellent Grade of 96.0 per cent. Only 4 courses, accounting for about 10.8 per cent were still under interim accreditation status.”
LASU courses that had NUC full accreditation according to NUC notification letter include: Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration and Local Government and Development Studies in the Faculty of Management Science.
In the Faculty of Arts, six courses of the University that gained NUC full accreditation are: Arabic Studies, Christian Religious Studies (CRS), English Language, Islamic Studies, Yoruba Language and Music.
Other fully accredited courses include: Nursing Science, Psychology, Pharmacology, all the 14 courses in the Faculty of Education, Law, Mathematics and Physics.
Four courses of the University with NUC interim accreditation status according to Sali are: Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering, Common and Islamic Law, Theatre Arts and Philosophy.
Emphasizing the implications of accreditation status on various courses, the NUC Director, explained that full accreditation for any course is valid for a period of five years while interim accreditation is valid for a period of two years after which the programmes or courses will be revisited for accreditation.
According to Sali, any programme that earns interim status after two visits shall be denied accreditation by the commission.
Reacting to the development, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Ibiyemi Bello, described the 96.0 per cent accreditation success of the university as unprecedented.
She said, “such excellent feat is unprecedented in the history of the University since its 40 years of existence.”
Bello commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for his leadership quality and administrative excellence, saying the university has witnessed progressive developments since the inception of Sanwo–Olu administration.
She noted that LASU programmes have been running smoothly without any interruption because the governor has been showing great commitment to the growth of education with adequate funding while prioritising the welfare of staff and students in policy formulation.
Commenting on the development, President-Elect of LASU Students’ Union (LASUSU), Adeoye Moses, attributed the success of the accreditation to the state government’s continued funding of tertiary education and the appointment of a hardworking educationist as the 9th Vice Chancellor of the University in the person Prof. Ibiyemi Bello.
According to the 300 Level Theatre Arts student, the success of the university’s new accreditation status is a huge one. He assured that the students would work harder to ensure that the university retains its current status as one of the leading universities in Africa.
Adeoye advised fellow students to shun cultism, kidnapping, alcoholism, terrorism, rapping and other vices capable of denting the image of the university before international communities.
He urged the school management to reciprocate the state government’s continued funding of the university by working harder and ensure that the university maintain its status as the best state university in the country and one of the first 500 in the world.
