A team from the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), on accreditation visit to the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University, has heaped plaudits on the University for lifting the standard of the teaching of advertising in the nation.

The team leader, Dr Josef Bel-Molokwu, said the delegation was impressed with the fact that the investment in education infrastructure in the Department had improved significantly, since the last accreditation exercise, six years ago.

Dr Bel-Molokwu noted the sophisticated equipment in place for teaching future professionals in the advertising industry. According to him, “Your printing press is one of the best in sub-Saharan Africa. With this in place, we are assured that you are teaching and equipping our future members with the requisite skillset needed to advance outdoor printing.”

The 9-man team commended the University for establishing a strong sense of camaraderie among the faculty, staff and students in the Department. “The level of cordiality seen here is at variance with what has been in many other universities and tertiary institutions in the country,” Dr Bel-Molokwu posited.

The delegation, however, called for an enlarged space for the Public Relation/Advertising laboratory and editing suite of the programme. It also asked for the creation of more space for the graphics tables so as to make the teaching ambience conducive for the students.

The Registrar, Covenant University, Dr Oluwasegun Omidiora, said the University was mindful of operating at the cutting edge of technology, and would always do what was needed to give her students the necessary exposure towards readiness for the world of work.

Dr Omidiora said work was in progress towards the creation of a college of communication-related fields of study in the University, with adequate infrastructural facilities to aid study. “By God’s grace, by the next accreditation window you will be seeing a college of Communication with adequate space, to address the few concerns raised during this exercise,” he added.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abiodun H. Adebayo, appreciated the team for the quality job done in the course of the accreditation exercise, noting that it was the desire of the Board of the University for her to operate at the very best level of global best practices, as the passion remained the emancipation of the black race from the back burner of global interactions.

Professor Adebayo noted that Covenant was committed to championing the desired change through the adoption and embracing of best peer review mechanism available in her quest to attain both her short and long term visions.

Present at the exit meeting of the APCON team were the Dean, College of Management and Social Sciences, Professor Uwalomwa Uwuigbe; Director, Centre for Learning Resources, Dr Mercy Iroaganachi; and Head, Department of Mass Communication, Dr Kehinde O. Oyesomi. Others were Professor Omojola; Dr Oscar Odiboh, Dr Darlington Yartey and Dr Thelma Ekanem.