UK Based Quality Assurance Agency Evaluates BUK Programmes for International Accreditation

A United Kingdom based Quality Assurance Agency has evaluated Bayero University, Kano programmes for international accreditation.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, usually referred to simply as the Quality Assurance Agency or QAA is the UK higher education sector's independent expert quality body, with a remit to maintain and enhance the quality of teaching and learning in tertiary education in the UK and beyond.  It conducts quality assessment reviews, develops reference points and guidance for providers, and conducts or commissions research on relevant issues.

The QAA experts, Julian Ellis and Dr Yue Song conducted various sessions of question and answer on the university’s programmes, teacher-student relationship, accreditation, academic planning and programme review among others.

They had sessions with the university management, staff and students as well as having sessions on the physical infrastructures, laboratory equipment and many others.

Vice Chancellor, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas while responding to questions from QAA, said Bayero University has grown in leaps and bounds with 15 research centres, 18 faculties, 92 departments, 99 undergradiate programmes, 25 part-time undergraduate programmes and 200 postgraduate programmes. He said the University has a total of 45, 810 students.

The University he said was ranked as the 4th best university in Nigeria by the Times Higher Education, UK and 1,016 globally.

He explained that in whatever the university is doing, it follows the due process and laid down procedure either in programme review, accreditation exercise, staff recruitment and examinations.

The Vice Chancellor told the QAA experts that the University has a number of collaboration and partnership with institutions, corporate bodies and agencies especially in Europe and they are conducting joint research activities together/ He added that Bayero University has students from many countries in West and Central Africa and other regions.

On choosing QAA to evaluate and accredit the University programmes, the Vice Chancellor said international quality review ensures that institutions meet and maintain international standard and the review helps potential students and their families to have certain level of trust on the institution.

He said accreditation leads to accountability and higher levels of quality education and that meeting standards attract new students and more collaborators.

There had been a virtual tour of facilities that include physical infrastructure, laboratory equipment and recreation centres,  which the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Professor Sani Mohammed Gumel made a presentation an responded to questions asked.

Other questions were answered by the Director CDA, Professor Jibrin Mohmmed Jibrin, Director Academic Planning, Professor Haruna Musa. And Deputy Director Strategic Planning and Monitoring, Directorate of Academic Planning, Dr Yusuf Garba and the

The accreditation   was facilitated by Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) and Africa Centre for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP) led by the Directorate of Academic Planning Director CDA, Prof Jibrin M. Jibrin,as part of the mandate of Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLI7) by the World Bank which calls for Africa Centres of Excellence to drive international accreditation in their institutions