...Embarks on aggressive commercial agriculture ...Partners Galilee Institute Israel on training of medical students ...Maintains top spot in Google Scholar Citation
…Partners Galilee Institute Isreal on t
How has it been running your office as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria in the past three years?
Running this office has been exciting. I see every challenge I encounter as a stepping stone to further achievements. I assumed office in June 2014 and then met a University that required a lot of rehabilitation both psycho-social and infrastructural. I came to meet a new Council that was just inaugurated after the previous one was dissolved. You can imagine the condition. There were a lot of conflicts among students and staff. So I started my primary assignment as a physician to heal the psyche of the people. Today, the University of Nigeria is described as the most peaceful university in Nigeria. We have also improved on a lot of areas. For instance, the finance of the university has been on the increase. We pay staff salaries as at when due, a good number of graduate assistants have been employed, a lot of highly skilled manpower also joined us, including visiting professors. We have created at least five new research institutes. In the college of medicine, we have the Institute of Child and Maternal Health, Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases and the Institute of Public Health. In the main campus at Nsukka, we have new Institute of Climate Change and many others.
Retracing the Mandate as a Land-Grant University
First of all, we have to look at the history and annals of University of Nigeria. The founding fathers founded the institution as a land-grant University, patterned after the first land-grant university, Michigan State University, USA. You will recall that when Rt. Hon (Dr) Nnamdi Azikiwe who schooled in USA, thought of establishing the first University in Nigeria, he was inspired by what he saw at the Michigan State University and thereafter patterned UNN after that University in America. The said University of Michigan produced the first 3 Vice-chancellors of this university and Prof. John Mario Johnson was the last. Recently I visited Michigan State University to rekindle our relationship with that institution. During the visit, I found out that the University was doing very well in Agriculture and we agreed to undertake a lot of collaborations in that area in line with the dreams of our founding fathers especially in food security, processing and packaging. You can see that the population of Nigeria is fast increasing between 170 – 200 million people and it is only by agriculture and not peasant farming that they will be fed. This also informed our decision to go into several aspects of agriculture and we started with the rebuilding of the university farm and introduced high breed cows imported from Germany. I am happy for where we are now. Considering what I saw in Michigan, I will recommend that we establish research farms in every local government area in the South East to ensure food security in the society. We are also embarking on other novel things like the breadfruit plantation and the new variety of breadfruit has been transplanted in our farm. You know the breadfruit does not contain much carbohydrate and it is good as super nutrition especially for patients with diabetics, arthritis etc. The people that brought the breadfruit will soon come up with a factory where it will be processed. We have also brought in snail farm. We are also going into cultivation of cassava on a commercial quantity such that pharmaceutical companies can use it for their base in drug production.
My administration is working on the establishment of research farms so that we can go into production of many agricultural products. We will even set up what is called Agri-preneurship where the youths come to learn entrepreneurship in agriculture. Because of my push, we have started producing Lion Palm Wine. Very soon, we will start exportation. I went to South Africa and was served a fresh palm wine and people were rushing it because of what we call packaging and preservation. The palm wine was fresh and healthy because it is bacteria free.
Tractorization Project and Introduction of Mechanised Farming in UNN community
We have a land situated outside the university that we have not touched. That is why we embarked on the tractorization project. In Nigeria peasant farmers use hoe and we want to move out from that mindset. We have vast hectares of land and we embarked in the tractorization project with other collaborators including ANAMCO factory. This was facilitated by businessmen outside the university. They will use our faculty as our own contribution. They will engage services of our staff and students in the project of producing tractors which will be sold at cheaper rates. So this tractorization project will be an example that will improve the quality of research in the university and mechanized farming. It will improve industrialisation and our students will be better exposed. These among others are our interest in agriculture in the University of Nigeria.
Infrastructure development
When I came in 2014, the university ranked very high as regards abandoned projects. So we set our targets to address the issue. So far, the Pharmacy building, one of the Social science buildings and one in Enugu campus have been completed while work is ongoing at a high speed at the digital lab. A brand new library has also been built at Ituku Ozalla and we are also embarking on the completion of the abandoned laboratory at Ituku Ozalla and build more classrooms and offices at the College of Dentistry Enugu campus. Also at the Enugu Campus, some hostels are almost completed and by the end of the year we hope to complete the rest of the abandoned projects through TETFUND. We are also building roads that were abandoned for a long time.
Primus Position in Global Ranking of Nigerian Universities
The most important objective ranking so far is the Google Scholar Citation and UNN is number 1 in Nigeria today for the 3rd time running. This is unarguable and I can assure you that by the end of January next year look for University of Nigeria at the Google scholar citation, it will still maintain her number one position. We can confidently tell you that because of the structure we have put on ground, we have done so well in research and our library is second to none in Nigeria.
Lion Science Park and the Replication of Silicon Valley in UNN
We found out that all over the world, countries are moving away from commodity-based economy into innovation, and what do I mean by commodity based economy? Nigeria’s economy is based largely on oil revenue. Countries like South Korea, China, Japan, and Indonesia and so on are succeeding because they set up innovation centres like what we now have at UNN (the Roar Nigeria Incubation hub). This is where ideas generated are converted into practical business ventures. At the incubation hub, students generate ideas and they are tutored to not only be employed but become employers of labour. The next thing is the Science Park. It involves the industry or public sector, the academia and the government. By Science Park, companies are invited to take up offices for researches using our facilities, teachers and the students. These research outputs are converted into businesses and they move out to industrial parks. No such initiative exists in Sub-Sahara Africa but we have succeeded in setting up one here. Companies are ready to move in and we are partnering with Swedish entrepreneurs. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with the first Science Park in Sweden and they are ready to help us as our technical adviser. We are also going to set up what they call a venture hub; it will be open to Nigerian universities where students will compete and come up with ideas after which some will be selected and incubated into businesses.
At the just completed 57th Founders Day celebration of the university, His Eminence, Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto, commissioned the first laptop assembling plant UNN. The plant has started production of quality and affordable laptops for our students – The Lion Laptop
Welfare of Staff and Students
Staff and students’ welfare is a constant issue. Talking about students’ welfare, the first thing that comes to mind is infrastructure. Remember that most of the hostels were built in the 60s and 70s and this university started with students’ population of about 200. It rose to 6000 at the end of the civil war and now it is about 35,000, so what do you expect? However we now came up with new ideas to engage the private sector to build more hostels as obtained in other developed countries. On assumption of office, I restored regular water and electricity supply in the hostels. Staff welfare is also intact. This is one of the few universities where salaries are paid every month. Once we get our money from the federal government, we pay salaries and allowances. In staff welfare also, all those who merit promotion are being promoted. Under my three years as VC here we have had virtually about 200 professors promoted, including those whose promotions were stagnated before I came in. We offer over 300 vacation jobs to our student as part of our welfare scheme.
Relationship with Alumni and the host community
Our relationship has been very cordial. They are always here in solidarity with what we are doing. That is why we have a peaceful environment. The benefactors are also proud of us. Most of the employment that was done favoured more of the host communities. We have done a lot for the host communities both in admission and employment and the statistics are there. Thank you.
Was there any Windfall to the University in Terms of Cash?
No; all these are an act of the Almighty God. Windows of heaven were opened for this administration and on our own; we prudently manage our resources, blocking areas of financial loss. We are not getting all we should get from government but we are embarking more on projects that would generate money. Education can be used to make money, for example, Nigerians travel abroad and spend high on international fees but now the University of Nigeria has gotten approval where you do some part of your programme in our medical school here in Nigeria and do the remaining part in Israel. That would be the first in Nigeria.
So, instead of sending your children to Ukraine, you can now send them to University of Nigeria for better medicine and you know that Israel is highly rated on medicine. Our E-learning programmes will soon be accredited and this will be a fund yielding avenue apart from educating the masses. Our proposed online MBA programme will have a joint degree with Lund University in Sweden. These are ways we can reach out to get money. We are getting to a stage that we will not depend on government any more. We also have the JUPEB programme.
Legacy to be remembered with as Vice-Chancellor
Part of my plans is to increase our international linkages and collaborations as well as research collaborations. As you know, this university was founded through international linkages and collaboration with the Michigan State University USA and I will like to strengthen it before I leave. We also want to improve on the infrastructure development of the university; improve the revenue base by strengthening our consultancy services with other universities outside this country. We want to also fulfil the dreams of the founding fathers which are to restore the dignity of man thereby solving both local and international needs through our researches. This administration has also created the emeritus professorship platform to help us in this regard and they are duly rewarded through the contacts and research grants they attract to the university.
OZUMBA’S ADMINISTRATION, POLICIES AND IMPACTS –PRINCIPAL OFFICERS
Students Evaluate Lecturers for Promotion -Prof. James Ogbonna DVC (Academic)
For the first time, this university introduced what is called “Students Evaluation” whereby the students evaluate their lecturers. At the end of every course, students rate the performance of their lecturers. Lecturers cannot be promoted if they don’t get at least 50% pass mark from the students.
The administration also introduced the publish-and-be-paid policy. Under the policy, the university pays the cost of publication in some highly-rated journals and also pays the researcher. To increase the visibility of our researchers, the university administration encouraged staff registration with the Google Scholar and the Research Gate.
The Vice Chancellor has established academic linkages with the best universities all over the world, including those in Europe, many in United States, Asia, China, and Japan etc. Our staff collaborates with them, we write research proposal with them for PhD research. Many of our staff have benefited from the collaborations. 31 Doctoral students from our university have been scheduled to further their studies at the Guangxi Academy of Sciences in China through our collaboration with the academy.
The E-leaning Project is also one of the outfits that the present administration of Prof. Ozumba has been very passionate about. We have the E-learning and the Business School. In the E-learning project, we have up to five hundred computers fully connected. The Project is designed to provide education to those who don’t have the opportunity of coming into the university conventionally. Our Business School will also take off at Enugu Campus. Our postgraduate School is stronger than ever. Students complete their programmes in record time and their supervisors are promptly paid. Now unlike before, we fix a date or time frame for final examination and project defence for Postgraduate students, and they work towards meeting the deadline or wait till the next period.
UNN Admit Best Students and Produce Best Graduates – Barr Christopher Chukwudi Igbokwe, Registrar
Policy thrust of the current university administration is anchored on excellence with the hope of making the University of Nigeria globally competitive. Our staff are motivated to strive for excellence. Under this administration, the Governing Council approved directorate promotion to upgrade the status of those who have been stagnated at the position of Deputy Registrar for a long time. Concerning our admission policy under Ozumba’s administration, we believe in the term “Garbage in garbage out”. If you admit the correct students into your system, you will be able to produce quality graduates. We produce very good graduates, who fit into the society and do what they are expected to do. Prof. Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba has been a team player and we all move along very well.
We Have New Faculties and our Departments are Fully Accredited- Prof. Smart Uchegbu, DVC, UNEC
The administration of Prof Ozumba created the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences. The faculty houses the departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology. The faculty status ensures that the Department of Anatomy and the Department of Physiology can now award Degrees. With this development students who usually fail out of medicine can find their way into any of these departments instead of failing out entirely. Now, students can be doctors not only in Medicine but also doctors in Anatomy.
The administration also created the Faculty of Management Sciences. The Faculty has four Departments, namely Management, Accountancy, Banking and Finance and Marketing. We are also working towards the establishment of University of Nigeria Business School in that faculty for top level business managers like her counterpart in Lagos Business School
All the departments in Enugu campus are fully accredited.
Regarding infrastructure development in Enugu Campus, we have been able to attract some philanthropists who renovated our basket ball court and our stadium. Construction work has started in a centre housing five blocks of building for Institute of Maritime Studies. Our five storey administration building, as well as postgraduate students’ accommodation are under construction; we hope it will be completed soon.
Our resolve is to make the University of Nigeria proud and very competitive. We want to inculcate in our staff and students the culture of hard work because it pays and does not kill. What kills people is laziness.
UNN Runs an Open Door Administration Policy- Professor Charles Igwe, DVC (Administration)
It has been very exciting and rewarding working with Prof Ozumba. He is a man who works very hard and he demands success from people around him. Under him the University has made giant strides in academics, administration, sports. One of the major achievements of the administration is the enthronement of enduring peace in the university. Recently, when the Executive Secretary of the NUC visited our university, he was excited over what he saw and described our institution as the most peaceful university in the whole country. The same impressive observation was made by Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III. The administration runs an open door policy.
Regarding our relationship with the alumni association, there was a poor relationship in the past but within the three years of our administration, we have built an Alumni Centre and provided them with office accommodation for their meetings. They are also funding the school based on our cordial relationship with the association.
I believe that tomorrow will be better. The eagle has landed. The black man in chains has been liberated by the administration of Professor Ozumba and those of us serving under him are happy to be part of the success story. We have done well in general administration and in research. I believe we have also done well in human relations and have grown academically too.
We Consult Students in Decision Making – Prof Uju Clara Umo, Dean Student Affairs
Prof Ozumba runs a participatory administration. He involves students before taking any decision that concerns them. For instance, students are members of the committee on municipal services. So when they run short of water and encounter power problems, they know who to call. Students also participate in reviewing their sundry fees and are also part of the committee on students’ matters both at the postgraduate and undergraduate levels.
The Vice Chancellor encourages and sponsors students to attend both national and international conferences. He treats with dispatch anything that concerns students. For instance some of our students both past and current executive have travelled to United States of America, Ghana and Tanzania, under the sponsorship of the university. Recently, Joshua Ezeja the present SUG President and some students’ union functionaries just came back from Ghana with the Vice Chancellor for an award. The Vice-Chancellor has approved that some members of the SUG should travel to Sweden to understudy transportation system in Swedish universities. I am processing their travelling documents.
In the hostels, Ozumba’s administration on assumption of office provided state-of-the-art toilet facilities and made sure that there was regular water supply in the hostels. He installed reservoir tanks, as back up for the daily tap; he has done some renovations in Alvan Ikoku, Eni Njoku hostels and fortified the structure at Mbanefo hostel that was abandoned for years. He has also provided new mattresses, beddings, pillows to replace the old ones that were infected with pests.
Our Medical Students Train four years in UNN and Two Years in Israel – Professor Ernest Onwuasigwe, Provost College of Medicine.
We have covered milestones. We have broken new grounds and we owe it to the present administration. With the aid of the Vice-Chancellor we have globalized the training of Medical Doctors in the institution. Currently we have signed an MOU with Galilee International Management Institute in Israel and we have had accreditation from Medical and Dental practices Council of Nigeria to admit students that will be jointly trained by the University of Nigeria and the Galilee Institute in Israel. Under this arrangement, the students will spend 4 years with us and the last 2 years in Israel where they will be exposed to the best of advances in medical practice. We are hoping to admit the first set of such students this year. The Medical Council has come to give us accreditation that once these students come in and are trained; they will automatically be licensed in Nigeria and also be licensed in Israel.
Ozumba Recognised the strength of Vocational Training and he committed to it- Professor Emmanuel Chukwugozie Osinem, Director, CETVETAR
The vision of our Centre is to restore human dignity through skills empowerment in line with the motto of this University particularly in the area of promoting technical and vocational education not only in Nigeria but in Africa.
The Centre is also recognised as an international centre in vocational education and we engage in both local skills training and international engagement. Under Ozumba’s administration, we have developed short term training in areas like field formulation and production, cake making, computer hardware maintenance, electrical installation, food processing, cosmetology and textiles. We have three and six months certificate part-time training program for both students and non students of the university. We conducted training for Automobile Mechanics to enable them acquire up-to-date skills required to diagnose modern vehicles, using modern technology. We recently conducted National Economic Recovery Programme at Abuja for unemployed and underemployed graduates.
I want to stress here that Vocational and Technical Education is one of the strengths of this university. It is one of the Disciplines we have in this university where research and training is carried out in a way that does not happen anywhere else. The Vice Chancellor Prof. Ozumba was able to go into it knowing where the university has strength and we boldly say that there has never been a Vice-Chancellor of this university that showed concern to Vocational Education like Professor Ozumba.
VC has Redirected the Focus of the Faculty of Agriculture- Professor B. C. Echezona, Dean, Agriculture
The faculty is one of the first faculties started in this university. It might also interest you to know that this university is the first Land-grant University in the country and in Africa.
The administration of Prof B.C Ozunba has redirected the focus of our faculty to what it was originally planned to be as a replica of the Michigan State University. Some of the projects on going in the faculty include: cow milk production, ponds for fish production, structures for piggery, cassava flour processing plant, development of pastures for cow grazing and the construction of a new green house.
