The Doctoral Programme in West African Climate Systems (DRP-WACS) under the aegis of the West African Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) domiciled at the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA has been given international accreditation status by the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) based in France.

Conveying the feat to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, the Executive Director of WASCAL, a German Government initiative in collaboration with West African countries on how to manage climate related matters ,Professor Emmanuel Wendsongre Ramde wrote, “I am pleased to inform you of the international accreditation by the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) France of the doctoral programme in West African Climate Systems (DRP-WACS) a programme which is supported by WASCAL and hosted by your prestigious university, the Federal University of Technology Akure. This significant achievement is a testament to the hard work, steady commitment, and exemplary collaboration between our two institutions. It not only highlights the quality and relevance of the programme but also underscores the dedication of the programme management the teaching and administrative staff under your leadership. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you and your entire academic and administrative team for your commitment and collaboration with WASCAL.”   

The accreditation is based on detailed and objective assessment made by HCERES in its article justified by its doctoral policy which states that, “the Doctoral Research Programme in West African Climate Systems (DRP-WACS) benefits from the strong national and international recognition of the Meteorological Department of FUTA its host university and its track record of excellence in education and research.” 

Other criteria are based on the quality of training, hosting and supervision arrangements for doctoral students’ attractiveness, performance and relevance of the doctoral programme and management and continuous improvement of the doctoral programme.

The doctoral programme in FUTA has a renowned Professor of Meteorology and former Vice Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede Osun State, and immediate past Director of FUTA WASCAL Professor Debo Adeyewa as its Director. 

Responding to the development, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Oladiji, expressed her delight in the giant strides FUTA is making locally and globally. She wrote, “I express my appreciation to the body that accredited the DRP-WACS programme for being thorough and objective in its assessment. I am also grateful to WASCAL for the collaboration with FUTA. I can boldly say that this programme will deliver its mandate because FUTA has a very rich faculty which has trained and churned out great scholars in Climate management under the umbrella of WASCAL. With Professor Adeyewa as the Director of the doctoral programme, it is in very competent hands.”