By Uzorigwe Gloria and Elom Iyke Ubochi
The history of great nations is determined by how their leaders respond in time of challenges. 2022 was a challenging year in the history of the Nigerian University System as the inability of the Federal Government to implement the agreements reached with the University-based staff unions led to an 8-month academic and administrative hiatus in all public universities in Nigeria.
The immediate consequence of this avoidable impasse was the grounding of academic and administrative activities in public universities in Nigeria, with its concomitant effect on students’ admission, lectures, graduation and mobilization for the mandatory National Youth Service Scheme, issuance of academic transcripts as well as on research and community service. These, in no mean measure affected developmental activities in our universities.
2022 was envisioned as the consolidating year for the administration of Prof. Sunday Oge Elom, having assumed duty on 11th February, 2021 as the 3rd substantive Vice-Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State. So, the disequilibrium caused by the protracted industrial action in public universities in Nigeria couldn’t have come at a worst period for the University. Yet, against all odds, the wheels of academic and infrastructural development were still kept on track through the sold-out commitment of the Vice-Chancellor and his team, and the doggedness of loyal and enterprising workforce. As Lori Schneider, one of the few women to have conquered Mount Everest said, ‘Even the highest mountain can be climbed one step at a time by staying on course.” Prof. Elom, in spite of the daunting challenges the university system faced in 2022, remained focused and prudent in the management of scarce resources, and achieved the goals and objectives he had set out for his second year in office as the Vice-Chancellor of AE-FUNAI.
Ordinarily, some leaders could have thrown up their hands in the air, using the long strike as a veritable excuse, but not Prof. Elom. As a man who was adequately prepared for the position he occupies and is equally in a hurry to make his mark in the University, he inspired, encouraged and urged the staff not to give up on the system. This never-say-die attitude paid off, as the university, its staff and students made positive impact in various areas in 2022, therefore making his second year in office a success with verifiable achievements in various areas of the University life.
In academic matters, the University hit the bull’s-eye in many fronts in 2022. Firstly, 7 academic programmes of the University – Fisheries and Aquaculture, Physiology, Agricultural Science Education, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Biotechnology and Statistics, all received full accreditation from the National Universities Commission.
Secondly, 3 undergraduate engineering programmes of the University – Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering were fully accredited by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
Thirdly, 6 lecturers of the University obtained post-doctoral fellowships from renowned international universities and a reputable research institute based in Nigeria, to embark on life-changing scientific studies in various fields of life. The scholars include; Dr. Ademola Clement Famurewa(Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom), Dr. Sharon OluchukwuAzubuike-Osu (Ludwig-Maximilian Universitat Munchen, Germany), Dr. Anthony Chinonso Ekennia (University of Oregon, United States of America), Dr. Thomas Ojonugwa Daniel (University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa), Dr. Onyedikachi Azuama (Silesian University of Technology, Slaskie, Poland and Dr. Anthony Oko Isu (Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, Oyo State).
Fourthly, 7 academic staff of the University were ranked by Scopus (Dr. FamurewaAdemola C, Dr. Aloke Chinyere, Dr. Onyeneke Robert Ugochukwu, Dr. OkolieUgochukwu Chiinonso) and SciVal (Prof. Chinyere Augusta Nwajiuba, Dr. Robert Ugochukwu Onyeneke and Dr. Ademola C. Famurewa) among top 500 scholars in Nigeria by scholarly output in terms of number of publications, number of citations and currency of works etc.
Fifthly, 10 academic staff and 9 students of the University traveled to the University Gavle, Sweden, on staff and students’ mobility programme. They were sponsored under the framework of Linnaeus+ and Erasmus+ exchange projects through the partnership the University has with the University of Gavle, Sweden. The staff are: Prof. Dr. Jonmy Ogunji, Dr. Christiana Igberi, Dr. Rowland Uwakwe, Dr. Chidiebere Duru, Dr. Chinwe Ogunji, Dr. Ikechukwu Ukeje, Mr. Kelechi Meziobi, Mrs. Chidiebere Ojemuyide and Mrs. Enuma Icha-Ituma; while 3 of the students who are back to the University are; OvuSamuel Onyedikachi (Educational Foundations), Okonkwo Ada ChidinmaEsther (English and Literary Studies Education and Okorie Chinedu John (Science Education). The other 6 students left for Sweden in January of 2023, and are expected back to the University in June 2023.
More importantly, the University was ranked 6th in Impact among the universities that were rated in Nigeria by Times Higher Education 2022 Impact Ranking of World Universities. It was also ranked among the 80 and 1, 406 universities that were ranked in Africa and globally across 106 countries and regions. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings measure global universities’ success in delivering the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the discharge of their academic activities – teaching, research and community service (outreach), and stewardship.
The University was also ranked 34 out of 258 universities in Nigeria in academic citations by the AD Scientific Index 2022. The ranking which covers the last 5 years also saw the university ranked 225 in Africa and 5, 597 in the world respectively. In the area of h-index, the University was ranked 30 in Nigeria, 216 in Africa and 5, 404 in the world, and in the i10-index, the University ranked 39 in Nigeria, 231 in Africa and 5, 528 in the world by the same body.
In addition, despite the tight situation most public universities in Nigeria found itself in 2022, against all odds, AE-FUNAI was still able to mobilize 934 graduating students to the mandatory 1-year NYSC programme. This has been a culture in the University since 2016 when it graduated its first set of students. With this culture of seriousness, the University has no backlog of graduating students for the NYSC scheme.
More heartwarming was the adoption of blended learning method of teaching and learning in the University. To ensure a seamless transition, the Directorate of Academic Planning of the University in collaboration with the Partnership for Enhanced and Blended Learning (PEBL) in West Africa embarked on rigorous training of facilitators, staff and students on the modalities for the project, even as course modules are being developed for the eventual take off of the project later in 2023. Blended Learning is a combination of face-to-face and online learning methods, geared towards bridging the gap of teaching burdens associated with rise in students’ population and shortage of academic staff being witnessed in universities around the world.
In sports, the university participated and competed for the first time in the 26th Nigerian Universities Games (NUGA) held from 16th to 25th March, 2022 at the University of Lagos, where it won two medals (1silver in 5,00m and 1 bronze 1,500m). The University placed 44 out of 73 Universities in the overall medal table. It also placed 2nd among the universities established with it in 2011, and equally emerged in 4th position among the universities in the Southeast of Nigeria.
The Students’ Debate Team of the University placed 7th out of 68 universities in the Pan African Debate Championship held in Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya from 8th to 15th December, 2022. Only two universities in Nigeria (AE-FUNAI and VERITAS University, Abuja) participated in the championship. The University had qualified to represent Nigeria in the championship at the 9th edition of the All Nigerian Universities Debating Championship and All Nigerian Universities Quiz Challenge themed “Better by Far 2022” held from 13th-19th February, 2022 at the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, KwaraState.
The successes recorded in the Vice-Chancellor’s second year in office were not restricted to the academic front as the University, against all odds, also attained some milestones in physical infrastructural development.
Firstly, an ultra-modern Community Medicine Outpost of the University situated at Ebunwana, Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was inaugurated. It was established for the training of our medical students in community medicine and the provision of quality health services to the people. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment like MRI, dialysis and moveable x-ray machines as well as other very important modern hospital facilities. Some of the buildings in the Community Medicine Outpost include: Doctors/Nurses quarters, Students’ hostel, Modular Theatre, Diagnostic Centre. MRI/Radiology Centre,and OPD/Wards. The facility has been handed over to the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki for management and operation.
Secondly, the University also completed the construction of some critical buildings in 2022. Some of them are: a Clinical Students’ Hostel at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki; the Architectural studio for the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Social Sciences Building; 0.6km internal road leading to the College Medical Sciences and a new library annex. Two critical but dilapidated buildings were also restructured and renovated – G. O. Chukwu Administrative block and Shared Laboratory building.
In addition, some projects are ongoing and nearing completion. They are: A bungalow laboratory building for Faculty of Sciences, Classrooms for Faculty of Engineering, Laboratory complex for College of Medical Sciences, Male Clinical students’ hostel, Female Clinical Students’ hostel, supply and installation of furniture for clinical medical hostel, Procurement and installation of equipment for the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, furnishing of Physiology laboratory and preparatory room, furnishing of Biochemistry laboratory and preparatory room, furnishing of Histology laboratory and preparatory room and furnishing of Gross Anatomy Laboratory and preparatory room.
In concluding, Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” noted that leaders who led their organization quietly and humbly are much more effective than flashy, charismatic and high profile leaders. This submission aptly captures the leadership style of the Vice-Chancellor who is known for his humility and quiet mien, yet, he has continued to produce landmark results without much airs.
The Vice-Chancellor believes that leaders should be judged by their results irrespective of the degree of the progress at a time, rather than on the razzmatazz and flamboyancy of leadership. This is in sync with the position of David Livingstone who says “I will go anywhere, provided it is forward.” Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, indeed made some laudable progress in 2022 despite the gargantuan challenges that bedeviled the public university system in Nigeria in that period.
