The University of Calabar (UNICAL) and the Cross River State Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) are exploring stronger areas of collaboration to address some of the institution’s development and sustainability challenges.
The Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Offiong Efanga Offiong, made the call when the leadership of the ICAN Cross River State Chapter paid a courtesy visit to the university management.
Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Linkages and Collaboration, Prof. Anthony Eneji, the Vice Chancellor said stronger partnerships with professional bodies were important to the growth and sustainability of the university.
Prof. Eneji, while welcoming the delegation, commended ICAN for its commitment to professional excellence and its contributions through members who are graduates and staff of the university.
He noted that UNICAL has highly qualified accountants who are members of ICAN and have continued to contribute to the institution’s administration and financial management.
Prof. Offiong urged the ICAN chapter to develop practical proposals that could help the university tackle some of its pressing challenges, particularly low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and inadequate staff housing.
He said government funding and other revenue sources were no longer enough to meet the increasing needs of universities, making innovative and sustainable solutions necessary.
The Vice Chancellor also challenged ICAN to submit proposals backed by detailed analysis and feasibility studies, noting that successful initiatives could potentially serve as models for other universities.
On human capital development, Prof. Offiong said the university management would review its policy on retaining outstanding graduates, particularly students who graduate with First Class and Second Class Upper honours.
He expressed concern over the continued movement of highly talented Nigerians to opportunities outside the country and stressed the need to retain exceptional graduates within the university system.
The Vice Chancellor further said the current administration encourages continuous staff training and retraining, as well as participation in conferences, to keep employees updated in their respective fields.
He encouraged ICAN members to explore funding opportunities from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and other relevant agencies to support professional development and conference participation.
Prof. Offiong assured the delegation that the university management would consider the issues raised during the visit, particularly those relating to staff welfare, productivity and improved service delivery.
Earlier, the Chairman of the ICAN Cross River State Chapter, Elder Christopher Nta, ACA, said the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing relationship between ICAN and UNICAL while ensuring that ICAN members working at the university continued to discharge their responsibilities professionally.
Nta appealed to the university management to give greater attention to staff welfare, approve conference sponsorship for members in batches, and provide adequate office spaces and furniture to improve productivity.
He also urged the university to consider automatic employment or scholarship opportunities for outstanding accounting students as a way of encouraging academic excellence and retaining top talent.
The meeting was attended by other senior ICAN officials, including the Vice Chairman, Deacon Nicholas Agbo, FCA; Treasurer, Mrs. Itoro Hogan, ACA; Technical Secretary, Mrs. Vera Okeka, FCA; and Secretary, Mr. Chukwuemeka Ekesiobi, ACA.
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