By Ozioruva Aliu

Benin City – Professor Edoba Omoregie assumed office on Monday as the 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin.

In his inaugural speech, he pledged to revolutionize the university, with a focus on enhancing staff and student welfare, and creating a conducive working and learning environment.

Professor Omoregie, from the Faculty of Law, took over from Professor Lilian Salami, who completed her five-year tenure on the same day.

He acknowledged the challenges facing the Nigerian public university system, such as dwindling public funding and frequent strikes, but expressed optimism. He emphasized that innovative funding, prioritizing access to university education, infrastructural development, and improved staff welfare could rejuvenate the system.

Omoregie commended the Federal Government’s efforts to improve access to education through initiatives like the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), which supports infrastructure. He promised to actively educate students on the benefits of NELFUND and encourage them to access it.

He also praised his predecessor, Professor Salami, for her excellent service to the university and congratulated her on her successful tenure.

Earlier, during her farewell address, Professor Salami reflected on her achievements, noting that she was able to deliver on the seven-point agenda she set when she assumed office in 2019. She mentioned, “We were able to train and deploy non-academic staff to fill gaps. More could have been achieved if the Federal Government lifted the embargo on employment.”

At a Thanksgiving and Book Launch event marking her five years in office, Salami discussed the challenges public universities in Nigeria face, including inadequate funding, lack of personnel, and constant strikes by both academic and non-academic staff. She also praised the NELFUND policy introduced by the Bola Tinubu administration, noting its potential to provide opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“NELFUND is trying to bring equity and equality to everybody. It is a work in progress; we have not fully achieved our goals, but we are working hard to get more students involved,” she stated.

In her memoir, “So Much to Say”, Salami shared that managing the students of UNIBEN was akin to managing a motor park filled with unruly youths, and that student unrest was sometimes supported by staff and parents. She concluded, “I have done my best to wrap it up. My prayer is that the university continues to grow beyond what we have achieved.”