Niger Delta University is one of the third generation public Universities established in year 2000 by the Government of Bayelsa State.
The University which is one of the millennium Institutions has twelve faculties and colleges, among these are: Engineering, College of health Sciences, Management, Social Sciences, Arts, Faculty of Pharmacy, with an enrollment of over 6,000 students.
The programmes both at the graduate and undergraduates levels are largely accredited by the Nigeria University Commission, NUC, tailored to meet the manpower needs of the oil rich region of the Niger Delta and the rest of the world.
The institution which was set up four years after the creation of Bayelsa State in 1996 has become one of the fastest growing citadel of learning, with the least tuition fees affordable by both the rich and the poor, while cost of living in the school is quite cheap.
Establishment of the Institution was received with spontaneous jubilation across the State with the hope of using the Institution to fill the yearning gap of educationally less developed status of the States, and its manpower needs with professor John Buseri as its pioneer Vice Chancellor.
Located in a serene environment with the exfoliating breath of fresh air from the marine dominated deltaic region, but easily accessible by beautiful roads of tourists delight, just few minutes drive from Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Location of the University is historically revered by the Ijaw ethnic nationality. A peep into the book on History of the Niger Delta by the foremost African historian, Professor Ebiegeri Alagoa is quite revealing . It is historically rooted as the cradle of Ijaw nation and its civilization which was originally known as Agadagbabou until the European adventurers renamed it to Wilberforce Island.
The Institution is accessible by both river and land, surrounded by the ancient towns of Amassoma, Ogobiri and Agro-gbene.
Bayelsa State which is surrounded by some neighboring Africa countries such as Cameron, Guinea Bisau and Gabon and the oil rich Gulf of Guinea can easily access the university by land and air, especially the state-of-the-arte International Cargo airport built by the governor Seriake Dickson administration has added a lot of values to the Institution. The cargo airport will go a long way to help foreign students access the great institution either by land or by air.
It is the only University in Nigeria strategically located in such manner within the West African sub-region accessible by land, air and sea . Besides the scerene nature of the University environment, it is one big community close to nature with beautiful trees and flowers strategically planted in the nook and crannies of the school.
It has a well coated road network in a manner that students are stress free in walking down from Hostels to classrooms for lectures.
This has made students and lecturers relationship look like a closely knitted academic family in the process of knowledge impartation. The culture of staff and students who see themselves as peace and intellectual ambassadors of the school are well entrenched.
Currently, as part of its burning desire to rebrand the university, management of the school led by the vice chancellor, professor Samuel Gowon Edoumiekumo had concluded arrangement to hold a critical workshop for principal officers and other category of staff. The workshop is essentially to deepen and equip staffers with contemporary tools of university administration in a digital age.
This will not only enhance its commitment towards human capacity building but will also update their knowledge in the drive to visibly place the University in the International map of academic excellence. The Vice Chancellor of the University, professor Edoumiekumo and his Management team is conscious of one important fact; that the desire to establish a University is one thing and translating its vision to concrete reality is squarely different ball game. This is where the timely appointment of professor Edoumiekumo as VC of the university comes in.
Professor Edoumiekumo who is one of the youngest Vice Chancellors in Nigeria has left no one in doubt that he is on a mission to make the Niger Delta University a world class institution.
In a chat with Journalists in his office, the VC stated thus without mincing words that : ” I am a born again Christian of the Deeper Life Bible church, well groomed in the business of selfless service. I am fully committed to value reorientation. Any leadership position you find yourself should be utilized to change the fortunes of the people better than where you met it. Under my leadership as vice chancellor of the university, I will leave behind a lasting legacy in terms of visible infrastructure, value orientation, innovations and will practically place the university in the enviable international map of scholarship.”
The cerebral Vice Chancellor who is fondly called the digital VC by his colleagues, staff and students quickly identified cultism among students which is one of the banes in Nigerian Universities: being known for his pivotal role during his undergraduate days at the University of port-Hacourt in the fight against cultism, professor Edoumiekumo re-enacted it by putting in place the stick and cannot approach. Today, under his close supervision the hydra =headed menace of cultism has been stamped out for peace and creativity to thrive at Niger Delta University.
This is followed by the conscientious efforts at securing the accreditation of several courses while other courses have reached advanced stages of being accredited by the Nigeria university commission, a body statutorily charged with the duty of regulating the activities of university in Nigeria.
A source close to the NUC said, ” During our visit to assess the Niger Delta University for the purpose of accreditation of courses, we were marveled at the massive improvement in infrastructure, quality of lecturers, and the academic programme content”.
The NUC source emphasized that, ” if government of Bayelsa State can summon the political will to invest more funds in a sustained manner into the University under the young and dynamic Vice Chancellor, professor Edoumiekumo, the University will in earnest become a flourishing site of Africa’s intellectual destination.”
The Vice Chancellor believe that proper funding, of University cannot be limited to State government alone. Therefore, the new management of the school is determined and is working tirelessly towards attracting business men and agencies to intervene in critical areas of infrastructure concerns and research.
These efforts are already yielding fruits. Only few weeks ago the chairman and chief executive of Azikel Group of Companies Dr. Azibapu Eruani visited the University and indicated his intention to build two hostels for the Medical College and Engineering.
Others have made pledges to build a befitting University guest house, while work had already commenced in earnest to build a central laboratory which is a direct fulfillment of promises made by the private donors.
In same vein, the NEEDS Assesment fund and that of TETFUND intervention fund facilitated by the Vice Chancellor are impacting positively on the infrastructure needs of the institution.
Through its prudent application of fund, it has indeed turned the University to a huge construction site. At present, the building of two massive hostels and befitting buildings for the faculty of Arts, Agriculture and a lecture theater and that of Faculty of Social Sciences have been completed.
Security of the University is one area that has remained paramount in the agenda of the management of the institution. Many have wondered the secrets behind the peace and tranquility that reign in the school. Investigation into the secrets indicated that the University under the supervision of professor Edoumiekumo had stepped up its security architecture.
This is further complemented by the procurement of state-of-the-art security gadgets which are strategically placed for the purpose of monitoring movement of people within the University and its environs, while security lightening system are used to bright up the length and breath of the institution.
Today, staff and students of the University live together as one community without any cause to worry about men of the underworld.
It is pertinent to add that the perennial problem of flooding associated with states along the River Niger, the management of the University was able to put in place measures to ease flooding by clearing all the natural canals surrounding the school.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere of the university is quite electric as all is set for the Niger Delta University Community radio on the frequent wavelength of 98.1 to hit the air wave; essentially to enhance communication and social life of the school.
Also, for the first time in the history of the university, demonstration primary and secondary schools which is one of the privileges enjoyed by children of staff of the university in most public institutions have been established by the new Vice Chancellor. Which services as a teaching practice laboratory for Faculty of Education.
While workers are basking in the joy of having its own demonstration schools, management of the school has further reduced the frustration of millions of admission seekers by increasing admission enrollment from 4,000 to 6,509, without attrition.
Meanwhile, rebranding of the institution is in top gear as the university Logo which represents the school’s identity has been strategically designed and placed at the entrance of the institution to the admiration of all.
What has become heartwarming above all is the bold initiative, against all odds in entrenching the culture of transparency in the system; by blocking all forms of financial leakages.
It has also put in place quality academic control measures, essentially to enhance the quality of graduates churned out by the University. As a matter of fact, it is no overstatement that products of the university as well as its Lecturers can compete favourably with any other product in the world, some of whom have excelled well at the Nigerian law school.
It is interesting to mention that only recently one of the lecturers at the Niger Delta University, Dr. Kaywood Leizu won the prestigious 2018 edition of World Chemical Sciences (Metal Srecification in Sediment) championship, having defeated 5,845 nominations from 89 countries.
Therefore, the International Agency for Standards and Rating, IASR, has conferred on Dr. Leizu as the new World champion and among the world’s 500 most influential experts on earth in chemical sciences for the year 2018.
This is a no mean laurel which has made him one of the worthy Ambassordors of the Niger Delta University and evident of the commitment of the state government to the educational advancement of Bayelsa especial its massive investment in science education as well as promoting Research and Development, R & D, at the Niger Delta University.
Happily, the governor Seriake administration along with his Commissioner for education, Hon. Obuebite Jonathan have left no one in doubt that Education remains the chief Conner stone of the policy thrust of the administration. To that effect, it has carried out critical reforms aimed at revamping the educational needs of the people, especially the State owned Niger Delta University.
While commending the government on its practical commitment towards changing the educational fortunes of the state, especially the state owned Niger Delta University, it should not rest on its oars as building a world class university is not a tea party. It should rather be prepared to invest more fund until it realises the Vice Chancellor’s vision of turning around the Niger Delta University to truly Africa’s intellectual destination.
- Jonah Okah is a Legal practitioner /Public communication strategist writing from Yenagoa. okahjonah@gmail.com
