Nigeria presents certificates of accreditation to 19 institutions

The Federal Government of Nigeria has presented certificates of accreditation to 19 institutions in order to enhance the standards of education for professionals in the extractive industry, such as mining engineers and geoscientists. The event was organized by the Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), the regulatory body responsible for overseeing professionals and firms in the geosciences, mines, and steel sectors.

During the certificate presentation ceremony held in Abuja, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, commended COMEG for its commitment to continuously registering professionals. He emphasized the importance of regular monitoring and evaluation of training processes in tertiary institutions, praising the council for achieving this significant milestone. He also urged the accredited institutions not to become complacent but to strive for continuous improvement.

Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards

Dr. Godspower Ebimotimi Okpoi, the Chairman of COMEG, highlighted that training is the primary focus outlined in the COMEG Act and that good professional practice can only result from quality education and training. He announced that the council would establish a committee to review the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards document of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in order to develop COMEG’s equivalent standards.

Prof. Zacheus Opafunso, the Registrar and Chief Executive of COMEG, expressed his appreciation to the accredited institutions and called upon other institutions that have not yet received accreditation to cooperate with COMEG to achieve their accreditation. Opafunso highlighted the revival of the accreditation exercise under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that in 2021, 30 programs in 19 tertiary institutions across the South-West, South-East, and South-South regions of Nigeria were accredited.

The 19 institutions that received accreditation are as follows:

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (Applied Geology and Applied Geophysics)

Delta State University (Geology)

Mountain Top University (Geophysics and Geology)

Obafemi Awolowo University (Geology and Geophysics)

Adekunle Ajasin University (Applied Geophysics and Geology)

University of Lagos (Geology and Geophysics)

Federal University of Technology, Akure (Mining Engineering, Remote Sensing, and Applied Geology)

Ajayi Crowther University (Geology)

Rivers State University (Geology)

University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Geology)

Gregory University (Geology)

Ekiti State University (Geology)

Osun State University (Geology)

Ebonyi State University (Geology)

University of Ibadan (Geology)

University of Port Harcourt (Geology)

Crawford University (Geology and Mineral Science)

Petroleum Training Institute (HND Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences)

Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti (HND Geological Engineering)