NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY AWKA FROM 1992 TO 2024
WRITTEN BY AKWEKE DR FRANCIS CHIDOZIE OKOYE(Oyi Umunri)
Nnamdi Azikiwe University(NAU), Awka Was Carved Out From The Old Anambra State University Of Science And Technology
(ASUTECH) Following Its Takeover By The Federal Government Of Nigeria On September 1st, 1992.
The University Was Established To Provide Academic Excellence, Quality Education, Scholarship, And Help Train And Nurture Minds That Will Be Useful To Society Today And In The Future
The First Vice Chancellor Was Prof Festus Nwakor (1992-1999). He Laid The Foundation Of The University. He Did His Best As Their Was No Take Off Grant Given To Him Unlike Other New Universities Then.
Prof Nwakor Handed Over To Prof Pita Ejiofor As Vice Chancellor(1999-2003).
Prof Ejiofor Started The Process Of Relocating The University To Her Permanent Site At Ifite Awka So As To Give It A Feeling Of An Ivory Tower Infrastructure-Wise. He Set Up Administrative Block Building , New Faculties And Departmental Buildings Started Springing Up In The Permanent Site Such That Students Started Having Lectures There Within The. Uncompleted Class Room. He Started The Accreditation Of Some New Courses By The NUC
His Tenure Ended In 2003 And Prof Ilochi Okafor, SAN Took Over As Vice Chancellor(2003-2008). Prof Ilochi Was The VC Who Came, He Saw And Really Reformed UNIZIK.
He Brought In Innovations And Discipline To The Ivory Tower. Ilochi Made It A Practice That Students Of UNIZIK Graduate At A Record Time Of Lessthan 4 Years For A 4 Years Course. He Put An End To Issues Of Indiscriminate Missing Scripts, No More Sorting And Exam Malpractices Took Flight From The University
Not Done With That Prof Ilochi Okafor Succedded To Relocate UNIZIK Completely To The Permanent Site At Ifite As He Used His Reach, Experience And Contacts To Bring Well Meaning Individuals, Corporate Organizations To Come And Invest In The University By Constructing Departmental Buildings, Banks And Other Structures. Access Roads Were Created And Tarred By Indigenous Contractors. Endowment Funds Were Instituted To The Glory Of God And For The Benefits Of Students And Lecturers Alike. Staff Morale Were Boasted With Some Benefits And Bonuses. Learning Environment Got A Facelift. Prof Ilochi Introduced Exam Malpractice Panel That Ensured That Any Student Caught Being Involved In Exam Malpractice Will Face Disciplinary Panel And If Found Guilty Shall Be Expelled. This Brought A Lot Discipline Among The Students And Improved The Ratings Of Our Graduates Globally.
Under Prof Ilochi Okafor’s Watch The University Rating Got To An All Time High As It Was Nicknamed “The University Of The Moment” As Prospective Students From Across The Country Usually Prefer To Choose UNIZIK As Their University First Choice.
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Suffice It To Say That Prof Ilochi Okafor Was The “Mr Project “ Of UNIZIK Prof As He Delivered A Lot Of New Physical Structures For The Benefit Of All. Prof Ilochi Okafor Is The Father Of Modern UNIZIK As His Vice Chancellorship Is Today Rated Among The Best In The History Of That Ivory Tower. However Students Complained That Prof Ilochi Okafor’s Policy Of “No School Fees, No Exam” Was Anti People. It Did Not Go Down Well With Many.
In 2008 Prof Boniface Egboka Took Over From Prof Ilochi Okafor And He Consolidated On The Many Gains And Achievements Of His Predecessor , And Recorded Yet Another Series Of Giant Strides. Banks And Other Corporate Organizations Started Building More Branches Within The University Permanent Site. Individuals Started Setting Up Endowment Funds , Annual Lecture Series In Memory Of Many Well Meaning Nigerians As Well As Well As Inaugurating Some Institutes For The Enrichment Of Knowledge And Scholarships
Nnamdi Azikiwe University Also Continued To Graduate Students As At When Due. Infact It Was Under Prof Egboka That Many Students Who Have Stayed Over 15 Years In The University Without Graduating Were Given Some Waivers To Come And Write Their Carry Overs And Pass A Certain Percentage And Be Graduated. Convocation Now Became A Regular Practice Done Annually As Against The Former Practice Of Once In 4 Or Years. Indeed Prof Egboka Was A Consolidator Of Ilochi’s Numerous Reforms. Egboka Was Extraordinarily Progressive. He Was In Office As The VC From 2008 To 2014
In 2014, Prof Joseph Ahaneku Was Appointed The Vice Chancellor, He Delivered On Many Of His Promises. A Lot Of Academic and None Academic Employment Was Done Under His Watch As VC. He Equally Ensured That They Were Captured Under The Integrated Payroll And Personal Information System(IPPIS) Introduced By The Federal Government In October 2006 To Take Care Of The Payment Of Federal Civil Servants. Prof Ahaneku Went Further To Make The University Financially Self Sustaining With Introduction Of Some New Institutes, Reforms And Fund Drive. He Also Tried In The Areas Of Physical Structures And Regularization Of The Academic Calendar Of The University. By The Time Prof Ahaneku Was Leaving Office In 2019, He Left With His Head High As One Who Came And Delivered
0n June 3rd, 2019, Prof Ahaneku Handed Over To The Outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof Charles Esimone. One Area That Prof Esimone Achieved Success As VC Was His Improvement On Scholarship Publications By Lecturers, Promotion Of Academic Research And Introduction Of International Grants By Lecturers That Was Why He Promised To Make The University Among The Top 1000 Universities In The World. To Esimone’s Credit UNIZIK That Was Ranked Among 4812 In Africa When He Came In As VC, Is Today Rated 2300. To His Credit Also UNIZIK Is Now Rated 12th In Nigeria From 46th When Esimone Took Over. He Promised To Deliver Over 200 Projects Which I Am Yet To Ascertain If He Achieved It
However,The University Is Today Witnessing Crises Of Uncaptured Members Of Staff With The IPPSS Scheme, A Situation Where Many Staff Employed Under The Watch Of prof Esimone Have Not Been Paid Their Salaries As A Result Of Non Capturing By The IPPSS And The Outgoing VC Has Not Done Anything To Fix The Situation. School Fees Have Been Increased Astronomically Under Prof Esimone’s Watch As VC. Students Of UNIZIK Are Complaining Of Over Levying By The University Management. Admission Process Of The University Is Smooth And Transparent Under Prof Esimone. Foundations Have Also Being Led For Construction Of New Faculty And Departmental Buildings, However Many Of Them Would Not Be Completed Before He Leaves Office Today. To Prof Esimone’s Credit Social Science Faculty Now Have A Brand New Faculty Building As Well As Completing The Construction Of UNIZIK Mini Stadium
On A General Note, The Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Has Witnessed A Very Smooth Transition, Reformative Administration And Progressive Transformation Cum Movement Away From The Usual Past. One Major Problem They Have Is Paucity Of Funds. It Is On Record That UNIZIK Is The Only Federal University In Nigeria Today Without A Take Off Grant. It Is On Record That During The Obasanjo Administration, Funds Were Provided For UNIZIK And It Was Diverted To The University Of Abuja And Nothing Was Done About It. So A Lot Needs To Be Done To Increase Their Funding As 95 Percent Of Its Revenue Are Internally Generated
Tetfund Recently Started Operating In UNIZIK And Their Funding And Projects So Far Are Minimal. More Tetfund Project Interventions And Funds Need To Be Accessed And Improved Upon So As To Reduce The Over Levying On Students And Parents
Efforts Need To Be Taken On The Unpaid Salaries And Wages Of Staff Employed Since 2019/2020 Who Are Yet To Be Captured By IPPIS, This Is One Of The Greatest Challenges Of The University At The Moment And That Of Non Release Of The University Take Off Grant Since 1992.
Conclusively, I Think Nnamdi Azikiwe University Is Progressing Steadily As Successive Vice Chancellors And Pro Chancellors Cum Chairmen Of The Governing Council Have Co Operated So Well To The Admiration Of Many And For The Benefut Of The Students , Staff And Host Community, Awka , Anambra And Nigeria. We Have Had It So Good
Since Inception The Federal Government Has Appointed 10 Governing Councils/ Pro Chancellors For Nnamdi Azikiwe University, The Following Are Some Of The Past Council Chairmen And Pro Chancellors;
Air Vice Marshal Larry Koinyan(Chairman 7th Governing Council), Alhaji Azeez Oladotun Bello(Chairman 8th Governing Council), Prof Sulymaan Alege kuranga(Chairman 9th Governing Council) And Now His Excellency Amb Greg Mbadiwe(Chairman 10th Governing Council).
Congratulations His Excellency Amb Greg Mbadiwe And Welcome On Board My Leader. I Wish You Succeed On Your New Mandate As I Will Be Here To Always Provide The Needed Support And Advise.
I Also Congratulate Prof Joseph Ikechebelu On His Assumption Of Office Today As The Acting Vice Chancellor Of UNIZIK, Please Do Not Behave Like Your Predecessor.
Akweke (Dr) Francis Okoye,
UNIZIK Alumnus,
Based In Abuja,
June 3rd, 2024.