The Executive Secretary,National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON,has told the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) that the Commission recognised only B. Agric as the approved nomenclature for degree programme in Agriculture in the Nigerian University System (NUS).
Receiving a delegation of NIAS on a courtesy visit, led by its President, Professor I.F Adu, on Thrsday, 18 July, 2015, the Executive Secretary stated that BSc. Animal Science was unknown to the Commission and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), as NUC had not granted approval to any Nigerian university to run and award a degree in Animal Science.
In the delegation were the First Vice-President, Sir Felix U.Enenche; (Registrar/CEO), Dr.G.O. Oyediji, Head , A and C,Alike Peter; Head, Education and Training, Dr. B.O Akinfolarin as well as Head, Regulatory Affirs, Njoagwuani H. Ifeanyi.
Professor Okojie acknowledged that the Institute had a large Council of people and also an environmentally-friendly body, charging it to look into the issue of the harmonisation of the programmes with utmost sense of urgency as the NUC would not be dragged into the issue of segregation. Regarding accreditation, the NUC Scribe noted that there was no diffrence between professional and academic accreditation, since the NUC uses resource persons from the universities, with NUC offials acting only as Secretaries in the accreditation process. Earlier in his speech, Professor Adu stated that there had been a lingering segregation among graduates of Agricultural Science where only those of crop science were given the privilege to become Agricultural Offers and also rise to the position of Permanent Secretaries and beyond in their career.
He disclosed that other graduates in the same field, with professional orientation were limited to the position of Deputy Directors, saying that NIAS was seeking a situation whereby the NUC, could help them reconcile academics with their profession.
Th President stated that, having recognised the powers of the NUC as the regulator of Nigerian Universities, the Institute did not want to do anything contrary to the Commission’s law, hence the decision to liaise with it before taking any further action on the matter. He requested the NUC to give the body guidelines on professional accreditation, adding that most universities taught students of animal science without the appropriate facilities, which he described as an anomaly. He gave instances in which students of Animal Husbandry graduated without using animals for practical.
Th President stated that, having recognised the powers of the NUC as the regulator of Nigerian Universities, the Institute did not want to do anything contrary to the Commission’s law, hence the decision to liaise with it before taking any further action on the matter. He requested the NUC to give the body guidelines on professional accreditation, adding that most universities taught students of animal science without the appropriate facilities, which he described as an anomaly. He gave instances in which students of Animal Husbandry graduated without using animals for practical.
He commended the Executive Secretary and his Management team for the giant strides in restructuring and stabilising the NUS for growth.
He informed the NUC Scribe that NIAS was established by Act No. 26 of 2007 and that in 2013, the Institute honoured former President Olusegun Obasanjo, with an honorary degree.
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