By Adekola Afolabi
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In recognition of its pursuit for academic excellence, the National Universities Commission, NUC, has approved full accreditation of nine additional programmes for the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), Okitipupa.

Approval of the nine programmes was made known to the University Community and the general public by the Vice Chancellor of OSUSTECH, Prof Sunday Ogunduyile in Akure, the ondo State capital at the weekend.

 The programmes are: Biology, Computer Science, Geophysics,  Industrial Chemistry, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics (Interim), Zoology and Fisheries (for Faculty of Agriculture).

Prof. Ogunduyile who made this known while speaking with journalists in Akure, on the laudable feat the University has attained in the last two years under his watch, explained that the accreditation was granted for the programmes on January 17, this year following the October /November last year’s visit by the NUC accreditation team to the institution.

The  VC particularly applauded the visitor to the University and governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin  Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, for their unwavering commitment to the infrastructural development of the institution since the present administration came on board .

He further explained that the  institution  which used to be one-faculty University, that is, faculty of Science since establishment in 2008 now has Faculty of Engineering comprising departments of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering.

“Since I came in about two years ago, we have also established the Faculties of Agriculture, Food Science Technology, Agricultural Technology, and Department of Statistics. These translate into  additional  openings for more students to be offered admission.

“We are not stopping there, we are in the process of establishing Marine Engineering as well as Maritime, Geology and Petroleum and Gas. With  the support of our amiable governor and the Governing Council, we are already working on that”, Ogunduyile said.

According to him, the  management of the institution  realised that a one faculty University will not be able to achieve the lofty objectives of the University in the areas of exploitation of oil, gas, bitumen, glass, sand, forest, aquatic and other resources that exists in Ondo State, hence, it  is leaving no stone unturned to change the narratives by making the institution responsive to the training and developmental needs of entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs in the state

He appreciated governor Akeredolu for bringing the University to a lime-light through construction of major roads in the campus, adding that the governor has equally empowered the institution to complete three out of the 17 abandoned projects in the permanent site of the citadel of learning to give the school a facelift. The three projects include; Administrative block, Library and Auditorium.

He further hinted that within the last two years of his administration the number of students admitted into the institution to study different courses had tremendously increased to above five thousand as against less than 1,000 being recorded since 2008, due to the establishment of three additional faculties in the University.

Prof. Ogunduyile who would be two years in office as the third substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University on February 27, 2019, said part of what he did when he assumed office was to move the Administrative block of the institution from the mini campus to the permanent site, just as he disclosed that the last capital project for development granted the institution was in 2013.