By Ngozi Anosike
…As University Prepares for 44th Convocation Ceremony
The Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Prof. Okey Onuchuku, said Program expansion, infrastructural development, and human capacity development are the major achievements of his administration.
He dropped the hint while briefing news men on the 44th convocation ceremony of the university in his office, noting that the university has actually developed in terms of Academics Administration and Infrastructure under his leadership.
He revealed that the first thing he did when he came on board as the Vice Chancellor was to review the Academic Brief of the university which enabled him introduce so many courses that the university is currently benefiting from, adding that the expansion of the Academic Brief gave the university the opportunity to expand its programs.
According to Prof. Onuchuku, courses like Soft Ware Engineering, Public Administration, among others were introduced while Faculties of Geography, and Humanities were unbundled and so many courses introduced in those faculties.
The Prof. of Economics further said that IAUE has about 53 undergraduate programs fully accredited while the remaining 23 have been verified and approved by NUC awaiting accreditation. “All the programs of the university including part time and postgraduate programs are fully verified and accredited by the regulatory body, NUC. There is no program we are running in IAUE that has not gotten approval by NUC. In the area of academic programme expansion we have done great”, he maintained.
The VC who informed that the university has instituted some kind of discipline to reduce academic corruption, also hinted that the university has done so many things to ensure that those who may be involved in unwholesome practices are checkmated, pointing out that conference marking was introduced so that the destinies of students are not put in the hand of one lecturer who would want to misbehave.
”In terms of human capacity I have promoted 63 professors, 87 readers making 150 promotion at the professorial rank and also opened window for lecturers to have access to TETFund grants for conferences, researches and publications.
“We have organized so many conferences in the university apart from sending lecturers to training on a regular basis to enable them build themselves and develop capacity”, Prof informed.
Prof. Onuchuku who stated that the university’s ICT has been upgraded with a unit for Artificial Intelligence also said that the ICT center has uninterrupted power supply as the school runs on inverter and solar energy adding that the library has been properly equipped with the latest books both in E-copy and hard copy, in order to enable lecturers and students carry out their researches effectively.
On how he has been able to achieve infrastructural development, he disclosed that IAUE operates on internally generated revenue which are fees and charges paid by students, adding that some projects are funded by interventionists agencies like TETFund.
He lauded the efforts TETFund, NDDC and his friends who through institutions and personal donations assisted the university to achieve infrastructural development in Rumuolumeni, St. John’s and Ndele campuses.
The former Vice President of Nigerian Association of Economists, informed that the convocation program finances itself through sales of convocation gowns, brochures, payment of convocation charges and clearance fees.
He also announced that the 44th convocation ceremony coming up on the 8th and 9th of May 2026 for the award of degrees for undergraduates and post graduates respectively has already commenced with the convocation service on Sunday 3rd of May at the chapel of Transfiguration in IAUE Rumuolumeni campus.
He stated that the one week program will also feature a convocation lecture on Wednesday 6th May by the former Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof. Nlerum S. Okogbule and an award night where some of the university’s staff at the lower level will be recognized for excellent performance.
He chronicled his achievements noting that his leadership would be remembered for his ability to increase the admission quota for year 1 from 6000 to 10,000, the digital transformation of IAUE and the building he donated to the University, among other things. Being the 5th convocation ceremony he will be superintending since assumption of duty as the Vice Chancellor, he expressed happiness over his achievements maintaining that there are a lot to celebrate. He congratulated the graduands and charged them to be good ambassadors to the university.
