From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), has further secured full accreditations for its programmes in law, engineering, sciences as well as other fields.This was even as the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Aloysius Michaels-Okolie commended the state governor, Dr.

Peter Mbah for committing huge resources in the education sector, saying the commitment helped to equip ESUT with modern learning facilities. The accreditations were contained in a letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu.The letter further highlighted the Commission’s satisfaction with the institution’s adherence to academic standards and its ability to provide quality education.According to the NUC, faculties that were fully accredited following its October/November 2024 accreditation of academic programmes in Nigerian universities included the Faculties of Law, Engineering, Sciences, Environmental Science, Education and Administration.Reacting to the development, the VC said the result of the accreditations was a testament to the institution’s resilience and commitment to academic excellence, and its determination to produce high-quality competitive graduates that will fit into the emerging global market where technology and innovation are driving the space.He also attributed the accreditation to the Governor’s deliberate efforts and support for education in the State, pointing that Enugu State is the highest spender in education in the country.“Governor Mbah is a pivotal force playing a major role and acting as an instrument and catalyst for transforming ESUT into a premier university of science and technology in Africa. The Governor’s intervention has enabled our institution to access the necessary resources and infrastructure to deliver quality education,” he added.He extolled the governor for his leadership’s programmes for the youths aimed at improving human capital development, wealth creation and eradication of poverty in the state.Explaining that the recent review in the university’s fees was not designed to serve as punitive measure or as school fees increase, the Vice Chancellor said it was merely adjusted to reflect the demands of economic realities and the hyper-inflation in the country.Calling on students and parents to eschew misinformation about the ongoing interest-free students’ loan by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Prof Okolie said the loan was meant for all students of federal and state tertiary institutions, including those in the southeast.He stressed that students from other parts of the country were already accessing the fund which was very flexible to pay back years after their university education when they could have started working as either entrepreneurs or public servants.Meanwhile, students of the university have expressed delight over the accreditations, insisting that the “good news” was possible because of a Governor who loves education and a university management dedicated to serve as an example for others.A postgraduate student in the Faculty of Administration, Ibekwe Ukachukwu, while addressing newsmen in the ESUT Permanent Site, Agbani, said the Vice Chancellor and his team had also initiated a series of reforms aimed at making the university a leading academic and research institution.“These reforms are already yielding good results. They are now paying off and I’m glad that the management has created an environment that fosters innovation and redefines the output of the institution,” a final year student at the Faculty of Environmental Science”, Eneh Chisom added.