By Ken Asinobi
The Rivers State University (RSU), Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt was on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, aglow with intellectual excitement as Prof. Karibo Beniah Bagshaw delivered the University’s 125th Inaugural Lecture, spotlighting Production and Operations Management (POM) as a quiet but decisive force behind national progress and human welfare.
Speaking to a packed auditorium of academics, industry leaders, students, and public officials at the Dr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike Senate Building, Prof. Bagshaw—Professor of Production and Operations Management—unfolded a compelling thesis titled “Production and Operations Management: The Central Science for Societal Well-Being.”
He argued that beyond factory floors and boardrooms, POM is the discipline that aligns resources, people, and processes to deliver value, equity, and sustainability in society.
“Operations is where strategy meets reality,” Prof. Bagshaw said. “It determines whether hospitals save lives on time, whether roads are built efficiently, whether food reaches markets without waste, and whether public services work for the people they are meant to serve.”
He traced the evolution of POM from its industrial roots to its modern role in healthcare delivery, public administration, logistics, energy systems, agriculture, and digital services. According to him, societies that master operations build resilience—especially in times of shocks such as pandemics, climate stress, and economic volatility.
Using relatable Nigerian examples, Prof. Bagshaw illustrated how poor scheduling, weak supply chains, and inefficient processes inflate costs and erode trust, while sound operations planning improves access, affordability, and outcomes.
He called for a national reorientation that places operations thinking at the heart of governance and development planning.
“Societal well-being is not accidental,” he noted. “It is produced—deliberately—through smart design of systems, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement.”
The inaugural lecturer also emphasized the ethical dimension of operations, urging practitioners to prioritize sustainability, worker safety, and social impact alongside efficiency and profit.
He advocated stronger collaboration between universities and industry to ensure graduates are equipped with practical tools for real-world challenges.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of RSU commended Prof. Bagshaw for “elevating Production and Operations Management from a technical specialty to a civic imperative,” describing the lecture as timely for a nation seeking productivity-led growth.
The event concluded with the presentation of the inaugural lecture plaque to Prof. Bagshaw and a standing ovation from the audience, marking the occasion as a memorable milestone in RSU’s academic history.
As the applause faded, one message lingered clearly: when operations work, society works—and when they don’t, everyone pays the price.
