AAU to Harmonise QA in Africa Soon
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8 June, 2015 Vol. 10 No. 23 ISSN 0795-3089 AAU To Harmonise QA In Africa Soon - Consensus Reached At Accra Meeting he Association of Afri- stakeholders to implement Tcan Universities (AAU) strategic programmes target- held a Pan-African Qual- ed at improving the quality of ity Assurance and Accredi- higher education in Africa. tation Framework Consul- tative Meeting, from 21-22 In its communiqué, the May, 2015, in Accra, Ghana, AAU agreed, among many with a resolution to harmo- other resolutions, that the nise Quality Assurance (QA) development of a Pan-Afri- practices in the continent. can Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework Welcoming participants, the (PAQAF) was needed to Secretary-General of the As- establish harmonised Qual- sociation, Professor Etienne ity Assurance practices in Ehouan Ehile, said that the the continent, as currently meeting served as an appro- no continental mechanism priate forum for experts to Prof. Julius A. Okojie, OON existed for quality assur- brainstorm and reach a con- Executive Secretary, NUC ance and accreditation in sensus on the process for es- Africa. He emphasised that tablishing an African accred- political commitment and Professor Ehile said that beyond the afore- itation mechanism for higher endorsement by African mentioned objectives, the goal of the session education. He added that the Union (AU) member states was to contribute to the upgrading and im- forum also provided mem- was essential for the devel- provement of quality assurance and accredi- bers the opportunity to dis- opment of PAQAF in or- tation of all Higher Education Institutions cuss other important issues der to ensure the establish- (HEIs) in Africa. He asserted that the forum affecting the Association, ment of a legal framework would rely on individual and collective exper- stressing that it would feed for supporting the process. tise and vast knowledge to make informed in- into the validation work- put into the final document which impact, he shop to be held in July, 2015 The workshop also resolved said, was expected to bring a substantive im- which, according to him, that PAQAF could work only provement to the current level of quality assur- would involve national and if there was sustained cordi- ance and accreditation in African universities. regional QA and accredita- nation between universities tion agencies as well as min- and stakeholders in promot- The Secretary-General reiterated the com- istries of higher education ing quality assurance and mitment of the Association and its partners across the African continent. accreditation through sus- to engaging in effective collaborations with tained funding for PAQAF. Prof. Chiedu Mafiana NUC Deputy Executive Secretary 1 and President/Chair, AfriQAN Profes- NUC Deputy Executive Secretary 1 sor Chiedu Mafiana (standing), making a presentation at the Consultative President/Chair, AfriQAN Meeting. He urged AU to take the leading vant documents be made available ties Commission (NUC) and role of mobilising funds, sugesting in the four official languages of the President/Chair of the Executive that an effective funding mecha- AU to ensure that Anglophone, Board of the African Quality As- nism should be worked out, while Francophone, Lusophone, and surance Network (AfriQAN), donor support was welcomed as Arabophone countries were able Professor Chiedu Mafiana. an additional source of funding. to participate in the quality assur- It was also agreed that AQ and ance and accreditation processes. accreditation concepts should be The Nigerian University System well conceptualised and be under- (NUS) was represented at the fo- stood in the same way by all stake- rum by the Deputy Executive holders. It was therefore that rele- Secretary 1, National Universi- A cross-section of participants at the Meeting. 2 FUPRE VC Unveils Roadmap for Excellence, Seeks Support he Vice-Chancellor of the TFederal University of Petro- leum Resources, Effurun (FU- PRE), Professor Akaehomen Okonigbon Akii Ibhadode, on Tuesday, 2 June, 2015, unveiled a roadmap that would be utilised by his administration to ensure that the Institution was listed among the best 500 in the world, before the end of his five-year tenure. The Vice-Chancellor disclosed this during his maiden me- dia briefing at the University. Appealing to all stakeholders to support his vision of mak- ing the Institution world-class, L-R: FUPRE Vice-Chancellor, Professor Akaehomen Okonigbon Akii Ibhadode Professor Ibhadode gave the as- and NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON, when the surance that FUPRE, in the next Vice-Chancellor paid a courtesy call on the NUC Scribe recently. few years, would witness massive infrastructure development such through consultancy services. dustry to enhance FUPRE’s repu- as the provision of laboratories, tation and goodwill from compa- workshops, classrooms and re- Professor Ibhadode disclosed nies and the society and also to search equipment to bolster its that actualising his vision for the attract income to the Institution. academic status. He stated that University would require leverag- He said that the quality of teaching he was determined to exploit the ing on existing resources, such as and learning in the University had ever abundant opportunities pro- physical facilities and structures, enabled the students to excel in vided by the Institution’s mandate equipment and human resources, global competitions thereby pro- as the first petroleum university in for optimum use, to avoid waste jecting the Institution in the in- Africa and the sixth in the world and also to deploy appropriate dustry, for example two of its for- to produce high level manpow- resources for maintenance and mer students had already emerged er for the oil and gas industry. staff motivation for improved best in their Master’s degrees at learning, working environment the Institute of Petroleum Stud- Professor Ibhadode said that, as a and facilities. He said that there ies, of the University of Port Har- specialised university, FUPRE had were on-going discussions on court, both winning the McAr- certain privileges tied to the pe- collaborations between the Insti- thur Foundation’s sponsorship troleum industry. Consequently, tution and industries as well as for doctoral programmes abroad. he stated that the Institution had foreign universities, aimed at en- planned to develop special bonds suring that the University offered Professor Ibhadode commended with petroleum and allied compa- programmes structured to meet the Ovie of Uvwie and the people nies that would fund research, es- global industry requirements. of Ugbomro and Iteregbi com- tablish specialised training centres munities for their commitment in the University and also donate The Vice-Chancellor added that in projecting FUPRE to global equipment. He added that the Insti- students’ projects would be tied reckoning, assuring them that tution would also generate income to solving real problems in the in- they would get their fair benefits. 3 Only Three Varsities Offer Degree in Automotive Engineering -Curriculum Approved by NUC - DG NIMechE he Nigerian Institute of Me- usher in a new era of industrial, Tchanical Engineers (NI- micro, small, and medium enter- MechE) has said that three of prises development in Nigeria. The Nigerian universities had begun NIRP, he said, was the most ambi- a degree programme in Automo- tious and comprehensive roadmap tive Engineering, after a success- that would transform the nation’s ful development of curriculum in industrial landscape, boost skills collaboration with the National development, enhance job creation Universities Commission (NUC) and conserve foreign exchange. He on the course. According to the observed that ‘‘the plan is the flag- Institute, the universities includ- ship industrialisation programme ed, the University of Ibadan, ever embarked upon by this coun- Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Uni- try. It will fast-track industrialisa- versity, Bauchi and Elizade Uni- tion, accelerate inclusive economic versity, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State. Prof. Julius A. Okojie, OON growth, boost job creation, trans- Executive Secretary, NUC form Nigeria’s business environ- The Institute made this known ment and stop the drain on our during its 2015 Mechanical En- and employment, boost the local foreign reserve, caused by import- gineers Distinguished Lecture, engineering capacity and capa- ing what we can produce locally.’’ held on 13 May, 2015, at the bility, through spillover effects, Shehu Musa Yar’adua Confer- and develop local raw materials. Dr. Aganga noted that NIRP cov- ence Centre, Abuja, with the ered sectors where Nigeria had the theme ‘‘The Automotive Industry Dr. Aganga added that ‘‘the Ni- competitive and comparative ad- and Nigeria’s Industrialization.’’ gerian automotive industry de- vantage such as agro-allied; met- velopment plan is our best chance als and solid minerals; oil and gas In his address, the Director-Gen- of developing this vital industry. industrial activities and construc- eral/Chief Executive Officer of The response by investors in vehi- tion, light manufacturing and ser- the National Automotive Council cle assembly has so far exceeded vices. He commended the Nigerian (NAC) remarked that the theme our expectations. We are now Society of Engineers (NSE) and all of the lecture was apt and rel- concentrating our efforts in local its divisions for partnering with the evance, especially as it affected content development. The indus- Federal Government in its efforts Nigeria’s quest to take the lead try is long-term in nature and re- to develop the industrial sector, in the advancement of technol- quires policy continuity and con- especially the automotive subsec- ogy, among the comity of nations. sistency. Any delay or suspension tor. He expressed the hope that the of the policy will effectively kill it. collaboration would gradually lead In his keynote address, the former This would make investors lose to a viable economy for Nigeria. Minister of Industry, Trade and confidence in government pro- He also commended the National Investment, Dr. Olusegun Agan- grams and they may not respond Automotive Council (NAC) and ga, disclosed that a total of about to new initiatives.