IN igeria is blessed   with role models in    the education sector, some of whom are presently directing the affairs of the various public and private universities in the country with outstanding results to show for their ingenuity. These are men and women of purpose whose inspirational character and exemplary deeds have built enviable reputation for their respective institutions.

Prof. Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba

In this first part of our series on Vice Chancellors who are doing their universities proud, we showcase Professor Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba of the University of Nsukka (UNN) and Professor Emmanuel Osikhuemeh Aluyor of Edo University,Iyambo (EUI). 

Whereas Ozumba is instrumental to the ranking of the UNN as the number one university in Nigeria by Webometrics, and, only last week, listed among three Nigerian universites in the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Aluyor is laying the foundation for a world class university at the two-year-old EUI recently ranked as the third best university in Nigeria by the NUC Open Educational Resources (OER).

Admired by his contemporaries for his visionary and innovative approach to tertiary education management, respected by the staff for his exemplary leadership style and loved by students, who have been the beneficiaries of his proven competence, Prof.   Benjamin ChukwumaOzumba, Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, through his competence, integrity, determination and experience, has put his names on the lips of those who still value qualitative education in Nigeria.

But those who know about the Vice Chancellor’s academic pedigree, his professional experience, exposure and desire to always be an agent of positive change have never been surprised by his promises of yesterday which have become the reality of today. At 44 when he was admitted to study medicine in University of Lagos (UNILAG), he was just one of the ambitious youths many of whom were yet to give proper definition to their dreams. But, today, he is one of the few who have turned their dreams into reality. Ozumba is one of the outstanding Vice-Chancellors in Nigeria whose exemplary character serves as a compass for undergraduates seeking the route to success.

His contemporaries believe his success story is a product of the solid training he received at UNILAG, his willingness to learn from others and diligence, while his kinsmen say his respect for tradition, culture and values is what has taken him this far in life. But those who are close to him know that all these and his desire to always use his wealth of experience and exposure for nation-building are those things that made him a fulfilled man. A native of Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, he attended Government College, Umuahia from 1966 to 1972 where he obtained his WASCE. With this feat, he was admitted into the University of Lagos in 1973 to study medicine and bagged MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) degree in March 1979.

The VC is certificated in many courses at home and abroad including the University of London postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology in January 1993 and the American Society of Clinical Oncology Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Course held in January 2007.

Ozumba is a member of many academic societies. They include the Nigeria Medical Association, 1980 to date; Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of England, 1993 to date and International Gynaecological Cancer Society, 2007 to date.

He has also served meritoriously in university administration as a member of Governing Council, University of Nigeria, 2009-2013; Provost, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, 2004-2008 and Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Dentistry, UNN 2002-2004.

The VC is a recipient of numerous awards including the Swedish Anders Fredrik Regnell award for the break-through study in hypertension, diabetes and obesity; the distinguished service award from the President of the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists while our ever-combat ready Student Union Government in the South-east honoured him with the “Vice-Chancellor of the Year”.

To say that this erudite scholar is a colossus is like stating the obvious because he has proven, over and over again, that top-notch administrative ingenuity is not rocket science.

Even from the early stage of his administrative records, he has been a pathfinder to many recorded successes in the UNN administration like the introduction of a degree at the doctorate level, Doctor of Medicine, in the Clinical Department of the College of Medicine, the first of its kind in South-east Nigeria.

The successful hosting of the 4th West African University Games and the 6th African Regional Conference of Vice Chancellors and Deans of Science, Engineering and Technology (COVIDSET) is ever fresh in the memory of the UNN.

Even the daunting challenge of paucity of funds could not stop this scholarly curmudgeon to be a first-class performer in the administrative life of the university.

A brilliant visualizer in the nation’s university community, Ozumba is instrumental to the ranking of the UNN by the highly regarded “Webometrics” as the number one university in Nigeria.

As of today, the university is also the number one university in Nigeria in research publications. The VC has raised the bar for his colleagues in university administration by systematically improving the programmes in the UNN, thereby regaining NUC accreditation in 2014 and, by 2017, all the 80 programmes running in the university were fully accredited while two vibrant faculties (Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education (Nsukka Campus) and Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (Enugu Campus) were created.

In the area of infrastructure, he built new hostels through public-private partnership to ease the problem of accommodation amongst students and also established the Central Research Laboratory project on the campuses of the university.

The VC initiated the technological incubation process of a science and technology park which is a first of its kind in Sub-saharan Africa. Just like the proverbial saying, ‘You cannot hide a golden fish in the water’, Ozumba is a golden fish in the ocean of university administration in Nigeria. Little wonder, there are over 100 awards from distinguished institutions at home and abroad in honour of this quintessential performer of our time.

Astonishingly, he has been able to achieve all of these by making sure that every kobo accruing to the UNN counts.