By LAJA THOMAS

The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Professor Adebiyi Daramola, has described regular professional validation for academic programmes in universities as critical for maintaining standard and keeping in touch with developments in relevant fields.

Daramola said this while receiving a team from the Town Planning Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC), Abuja, which came for the statutory professional re-accreditation of the university’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

He noted that for Nigerian universities to create the needed synergy between content and the needs of the society, professional validation of programmes is imperative. He said FUTA takes such validation as critical since one of its core missions is the production of high level self-reliant manpower who are trained to contribute meaningfully to solving societal problems and challenges.

The leader of the delegation, Mr. Raphael Ikumapayi, gave credit to the varsity for the high level manpower in the department of Urban and Regional Planning. He said with six members of staff in the professorial cadre, the department has the best manpower among tertiary institutions offering the specialized course in Nigeria.