The National Universities Commission (NUC) has expressed satisfaction with the quality of human resources and physical facilities available at the Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Institute of Governance Studies, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye. The institute, which was established and donated to the University by the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, is poised to soon commence M.Sc, PhD and Professional Masters in Governance Studies.
A three-member NUC Accreditation Team, which visited the University for resource verification between 16th and 18th January, 2022, remarked that OOU was on a “good ground” to run the new academic programmes. The panel of assessors, led by Prof. David Otume, also enjoined other Universities to emulate OOU in innovative investments and judicious utilization of resources.
Otume, a Professor of Political Science, while presenting the Exit Report of the Accreditation Team, lauded the University Management for being creative and courageous in berthing the Institute of Governance Studies. He pointed out that though the visiting panel was impressed with what was on ground, only the regulatory body can make final pronouncement on when the University will proceed with the proposed academic programmes.
He said, “You people have made my job rather easy. I haven’t got so many complaints; I’m not announcing that you are qualified to proceed; the final report or declaration of approval will come from the NUC. But as far as I am concerned, I have come, I have seen and that’s what they sent me to do. And from what I’ve seen, I must report to you that I’m impressed.”
“Based on what we have seen on the ground, the facilities that we went round to see and the documentary evidence you have in terms of staffing, we are so impressed in the sense that you don’t even have anything less than PhD in staffing disposition which is very good for a programme like this.”
“This is what Universities should do. Be innovative and creative. I would rather advocate that others learn from this kind of thing. We should take initiative, we should be bold and courageous enough.
The good thing is that you have a courageous special being behind you, the Awujale, and I think you have had the courage to take it up in the manner you have done. I’m not disappointed,” the NUC team leader added.
He noted that the accreditation exercise was not meant for witch-hunting but to ensure standard in the programmes run by Universities in the country.
Prof. Otume, who led the accreditation panel to inspect the ICT and Library facilities as well as the three iconic buildings being constructed for the Institute of Governance Studies, commended the giant strides made by OOU in terms of infrastructures and equally expressed satisfaction with the prevailing ambience and serene environment of the campus. On the online teaching and learning in the University, he remarked: “That’s the area I find quite commendable. With your attitude at this level of Nigeria’s development, I think you are already ahead.
Earlier, while welcoming the accreditation team at his office, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde, assured that the University Management and officials will cooperate with the assessors to enable them to seamlessly accomplish their task. He stated that accreditation remains an important exercise that provides the framework to have quality assurance evaluation of the University programmes from accredited body through peer review activities.
The Vice-Chancellor informed the team members about how OOU was founded in 1982 as Ogun State University and later renamed Olabisi Onabanjo University in 2001 after the first Civilian Governor of Ogun State. He stated that virtually all the programmes being run by the institution have full accreditation.
He said, “The University runs a conventional multi-campus system with four campuses in the four divisions of the state. The Main Campus is located at Ago-Iwoye while other campuses are in Ayetoro, Ibogun and Sagamu.
“We have three (03) Colleges, thirteen (13) Faculties and fifty-three (53) departments with seventy-five (75) academic programmes. All the 53 academic departments run postgraduate programmes and, of course, we have professional programmes and PhD run in some of those departments.”
Giving insight into the establishment of the Institute of Governance Studies, Prof. Olatunde told the accreditation team that the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, had been so bothered about Nigeria’s leadership problem and governance deficit and decided to float a programme that will critically address governance and related issues.
The Vice-Chancellor explained that apart from establishing the Institute of Governance Studies, the Awujale had also established a multi-million Naira Professorial Chair in Governance at the University. He enthused that the various interventions and support by the monarch had boosted the capacity of OOU to provide solutions for leadership failure and governance deficit in the country.
He said, “To show his commitment to the issue of governance, the Awujale donated three massive buildings to the University for use by the Institute of Governance Studies. He also constituted a Board and put people of integrity into this Board. He further employed a Director-General for the institute and they are working in collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences.” “Kabiyesi also insisted that for every Masters or PhD programme, he’s donating $5,000 (Five Thousand Dollars) for scholarship for five Governance Studies candidates every year. That is to show his commitment. His wish is for this country to regain its lost glory and greatness.”
At the end of their resource verification, the team, in company with some officers of the University, paid a courtesy call on the Awujale at his palace in Ijebu-Ode.
In a related development, the Vice-Chancellor on Wednesday, 26th January, 2022 received another NUC panel which came for the re-accreditation of Architecture Programme at the College of Engineering and Environmental Studies, Ibogun Campus. Welcoming the four-member team led by Prof. Uji Akaka at his office, the Vice-Chancellor said the University was desirous of having back the Architecture Programme which was previously denied accreditation due to inadequate studios, among other facilities.
“It is so painful that when I assumed duty in May 2017, the only programme that we met on ground that had denied accreditation is Architecture and the basic reason was because of inadequate studios. Now, we have six functional studios that have been built and equipped. We are desirous of coming back to have that programme and that is why we waited this long to ensure that all the gadgets needed for us to get the programme back are on ground,” he said.
After its inspection at the Ibogun Campus, the visiting team returned to the Main Campus, Ago-Iwoye on Friday, 28th January, 2022 to present its Exit Report, where the team commended the investments of the University Management in quality infrastructure.
“Running a University is not an easy thing, even if it is only one town. For you to have multiple campuses, the challenges are multiplied. From the distance between here (Ago-Iwoye) and Ibogun, you could have about seven Universities along the way and I can imagine the enormity of the challenges you would have to face but you have risen to the task and it seems you are doing quite well and we are happy about what we have seen. If you continue with the effort, it will further put this University on a higher pedestal,” Prof. Akaka, the Panel Chairman, said.
