The 59th President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN),Dr. Innocent Okwosa has commended Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State for its laudable academic accomplishments especially in the areas of universities’ rankings and students’ debating championships.
Okwosa gave the commendation when he led the National leadership of ICAN on a courtsey call on the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Sunday Elom on Tuesday, February 5th, 2024.
The institute's national president also commended the Vice-Chancellor for the giant strides recorded by the university under his leadership.

The ICAN leadership were in Ebonyi state for the 18th Southeast Annual Zonal conference held in the Ebonyi State capital, Abakaliki.
Okwosa noted that the visit was to congratulate the Vice-Chancellor for his incredible achievements in his 3 years in office, adding that they were aware of the favourable rankings the university has made among other universities in Nigeria and beyond.
He equally extolled the university for its special programme, the Language Enhancement Programme (LEP) which has made the students to perform well in public speaking, while appreciating the students of the university that came third and first in the African and Nigerian Debating Championship in 2023 held in Togo and Abuja respectively.

Okwosa also pointed out that ICAN has the responsibility of accrediting accounting programmes of universities in Nigeria, stressing that the accounting programme of AE-FUNAI has been fully accredited by the Institute.
He further intimated the Vice-Chancellor about their corporate social responsibilties, affirming that the Institute will do its best in carrying the university along, while employing the university managent to sponsor some of their members working in the university, both teaching and non teaching staff, to the mandatory continuing professional development programmes for their career advancement.

While responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sunady Elom who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Abel Ezeoha noted that the university had in the past built a structure for a solid relationship with the Institute which has been active and functiuonal.
He maintained that their visit would strenghten the existing relationship and make it more functional, stressing that the university is ICAN-friendly, with a good number of its staff, charted members of the Institute.
The Vice-Chancellor further stated that the professional programmes in the university have been accredited.by their regulatory bodies and will not lack re-accreditation when the time comes as the university understands the importance of creating a good and lasting relationship with professional regulatory bodies particularly now that the job market is slimming down and people have to think beyond the classroom knowledge to be able to cope.
He therefore assured ICAN’s leadership of the university management's sustained collaboration in order to move the institution forward.

Contributing, the immediate past President and Chairman, ICAN Body of Presidents, Dr. Ike Nwokolo appreciated the Vice-Chancellor and the university management for their effort in lifting the university to an enviable level in their short period in office, assuring them of the Institute’s continous relationship and collaboration.

Earlier in a closed door meeting with the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Okwosa had appealed to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Elom to put in motion the necessary modalities to ensure the upgrade of the ICAN accreditation level of the university to ensure that graduates of the institution start from the professional examination cadre in their pursuit of ICAN certification.

He noted that though the university is fully accredited by ICAn to run accounting programmes, nevertheless, he stated that it was just a general accreditation that ennables universities to teach and graduate accounting students.
In his response, the Vice-Chancellor assured of his aadministration's reparadness to put plans in motion to ensure that the ICAN accreditation level of the university is upgraded to a higher one to put the students on a strong professional footing on graduation.