By Philip Yatai

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has granted approval to the newly established Ekiti State College of Agriculture and Technology, Isan-Ekiti, to commence academic programmes for the 2020/2021 session.

The approval is contained in a letter signed by the NBTE’s Director of Polytechnic Programmes, Malam Musa Isgogo and made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Thursday.

Isgogo signed the letter on behalf of the board’s Acting Executive Secretary, Ekenyong Ekpenyong.

According to the letter, the board permitted the college to commence academic programmes in National Diploma (ND) accountancy, ND agriculture technology, and ND computer Science.

On institutional administration, the board said that the law establishing the college should be amended to enable it to award ND certificates and address other issues bothering on Governing Council and Academic Board.

The letter further stated that the approved programmes will be due for full accreditation when the first set of students were in the fourth semester of studies.

It, however, explained that it would be the responsibility of the college to invite the NBTE to carry out the full accreditation.

It added that failure to do so would disqualify the College in making further admission into the programmes.

Meanwhile, the board had denied the approval to commence academic programmes in ND agriculture and Bio-environmental engineering technology and ND electrical/electronic engineering technology.

According to the board, the college was denied approval due to identified deficiencies as communicated to the college along with required remedial measures.  

NBTE further directed the college to make public its admission requirements and recruit qualified academics not below the rank of Senior Lecturer to head some of the departments as well as provide other office facilities.