The governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri has expressed happiness with the National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation of 27 more undergraduate programmes at the Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, in Bayelsa State.
This brings the total courses of study given full official approval at the institution to 71.
The governor receiving the news at the State Council from the NDU Vice-Chancellor, Prof, Samuel Edoumiekumo, commended the university’s council and management for the accreditation feat and charged them to continue to maintain and surpass the standards that resulted in the NUC accreditation.
Diri said his administration would ensure that NDU continues to play its pivotal role in shaping and equipping the minds of students that would take charge of the intellectual space.
He directed the speedy completion of all processes that would lead to the smooth affiliation of the state-owned College of Education at Sagbama and the School of Nursing at Tombia to the NDU.
Diri said, “However, as elated as we are over the accreditation successes recorded, let me note that getting 71 programmes accredited is not a fluke. It means that the work actually begins from now.
“Do not rest on your laurels as you begin to put everything in place to ensure that further accreditation exercises would bring more exciting accreditation not only to NDU but to Bayelsa State government. I believe that our premier university will play a similar role as in the days of old Rivers State.
“So you have the onerous task of ensuring that you provide quality manpower to feed both the private and public sectors of the state.”
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah quoted Edoumiekumo as stating that fully accredited programmes would be revisited by the NUC in five years while those on interim accreditation would be revisited in two years.
The Vice-Chancellor thanked Diri for setting up the committee that worked towards the success of the accreditation exercise at the state-owned university.
Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor of NDU, Dr Mathew Seiyefa commended the governor for the achievements recorded so far at the university, saying no society rises above the level of its tertiary institutions.
