National Universities Commission (NUC) has given the Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu the nod to proceed with its undergraduate degree programmes.
The move formally put paid to the erstwhile status of the college as a mono-technic, awarding only Higher National Diplomas in Dental Technology and Therapy.
With the current approval, which also included the expansion of the college academic programmes, the institution will, henceforth, in collaboration with the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, award degrees in various academic programmes accredited by NUC.
According to a letter, dated February 10, the commission authorised the relevant authorities to run degree programmes in the precinct of the college with FUTO as its mentor, thus upholding the status of the college as an authorised degree awarding institution.
However, the recent authorisation of the college as a custodian of degree programmes was the fallout of National Assembly Act No.8 of 2017 which had hitherto empowered the college to award degrees and diplomas.
This legal framework, tagged: Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy (Establishment) Act, 2017, propelled the affiliation of the college with FUTO after the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari on December 5, 2017.
The NUC’s approval which authorised the degree awarding status of the college followed the visit of a 12-man team to the school campus on December 14, 2020 on assessment tour of the institution’s facilities.
Led by Tokunbo Akeredolu, the team, at the end of the visit, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance of the college with laid down standards as well as the quality of infrastructure it put in place.
The team also commended the institution’s authorities for what it described as their team spirit which it said had enabled them to achieve notable progress in recent times.
But the laudable feat notwithstanding, the college is not relenting yet in its avowed commitment to be formally ranked along other federal universities in Nigeria.
Established in 1955 in Lagos by the Ordinance of the Queen of England, the school was relocated to Enugu in 1982.