UNICROSS Shines in NUC Accreditation Exercise as Most Academic Programmes Secure Full Approval

The University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) has recorded a strong institutional performance following the outcome of the latest accreditation exercise conducted by the National Universities Commission (NUC), with most of its academic programmes securing full accreditation status.

The result was formally presented on Thursday, April 23, 2026, during an emergency Senate meeting held at the Calabar campus and announced by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Francisca Bassey.

According to the university, all programmes presented for accreditation in the November/December 2025 exercise received full accreditation status, except one programme in Childhood Education, which was granted interim accreditation.

The fully accredited programmes cut across several faculties and include Human Kinetics and Health Education, Urban and Regional Planning, Economics, Peace and Conflict Studies, Sociology, Banking and Finance, Entrepreneurship Studies, Marketing, Forestry and Wildlife, Broadcasting, Journalism and Media Studies, Information Systems, Software Engineering, Animal and Environmental Biology, Industrial Chemistry, and Plant Science Biology.

The Vice Chancellor noted that the outcome was particularly significant given that some of the programmes had previously struggled during earlier accreditation cycles. She disclosed that the Department of Urban and Regional Planning had failed accreditation twice before and was unable to admit new students during that period. The Department of Forestry and Wildlife also faced two previous unsuccessful accreditation attempts.

She further explained that several of the newly accredited programmes are relatively young, making the successful outcome an indicator of steady institutional strengthening rather than routine compliance.

In addition, Professor Bassey highlighted exceptional departmental performances, revealing that Plant Science Biology emerged as the best-performing department with 93.7 percent, followed by Animal and Environmental Biology with 92.9 percent, while Entrepreneurship Studies recorded 91.2 percent.

She commended all Heads of Departments and academic staff for their commitment to quality assurance, with special recognition given to Dr. Samuel Osim, Head of the Department of Plant Science Biology, for what she described as exemplary leadership and performance.

In recognition of the department’s achievement, the Vice Chancellor announced support measures including an upgrade of laboratory facilities, improved office infrastructure for the Head of Department, and the provision of a personal laptop for enhanced academic work.

Professor Bassey described the overall outcome as a reflection of sustained institutional progress and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to maintaining academic standards, strengthening quality assurance systems, and continuously improving teaching and research outcomes.

The university management congratulated the entire UNICROSS community, describing the result as a collective success and a positive indicator of continued growth under the current leadership.