PREAMBLE & APPRECIATION
Dear gentlemen of the Press. I give God the praise for the opportunity given to me to host this event with great joy in the beginning of the year.
I welcome you all to the University of Uyo, an institution on a Mission, to enlighten not just Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria, but also the global community.
I am glad this event has given some of you a singular opportunity of visiting the four Campuses of the University and seeing things for yourselves, for seeing is believing.
In few occasions media persons have had to call me directly for information about the University or its programmes. This occasion will give us opportunity to interact and appreciate one another better as partners in the development of the outstanding Federal presence in Akwa Ibom State.
A good number of you have been very supportive and committed to the cause of projecting this University.
I believe those who give the only Federal University in Akwa Ibom State negative publicity do so as a manifestation of the communication maxim, “Communicate or Perish”.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this gathering is primarily to:
- Appreciate you all as co-builders and stakeholders of this great citadel of learning.
- Inform members of Media profession of the challenges, successes, prospects of the University and therefore create an enduring relationship and enabling environment as we recall our students to campus after six months of painfully staying at home.
- Give information on our core values;
- Register our modest achievements in the past three years of the incumbent administration;
- Share our Challenges; and
- Highlight the prospects of this University.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO
The University of Uyo has had a peculiar history probably known by many of us:
Began as a Practising School in the 1930s;
Became a Teachers’ Training College (TTC) in the 1940s;
Upgraded to Advanced Teachers’ Training College (ATTC) in the 1970s;
Converted to the famous College of Education, Uyo in 1975 by the then Government of South Eastern State ;
Became the University of Cross River State in 1983; and finally,
In 1991, University of Uyo as a Federal University.
OUR VISION
The University of Uyo shall be a centre of academic excellence by utilizing the available human and technological resources for teaching, research, community service and sustainable development.
OUR MISSION
As a centre of excellence, the University of Uyo shall diligently pursue scholarship and economic growth in the society, with active participation in Information and Community Technology (ICT), sensitive to Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and responsiveness to global environmental changes.
OUR CORE VALUES
- Faith in God
- Academic Excellence in Teaching & Research
- Institutional Autonomy
- Academic Freedom
- Peer and Professional Review
Qualitative Service Delivery
- Strong Work Ethics
- Equal Opportunity
- Creativity and Innovation
- Integrity
- Transparency and Accountability
Administration of 4 campuses is increasingly becoming a major burden;
- University is considering the possibility of locating all activities in at most Two (2) Campuses.
UNIUYO is one of the few higher Institutions in this country with a wide range of academic programmes because of our historical background as a teacher training institution. Presently, there are 12 faculties, College of Health Sciences, 3 Research Institutes and Postgraduate School.
ACCREDITATION STATUS
All academic programmes have FULL accreditation status except Pharmacy which is being packaged for National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation soon.
- UNIUYO has also obtained full institutional accreditation from NUC valid till 2017.
- Over 60% of our academic staff have PhD. Degrees in various disciplines.
- UNIUYO has a dynamic staff development structure for capacity development.
MODEST ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE INCUMBENT ADMINISTRATION
- Passionate about quality of its graduates. Therefore has included various entrepreneurial studies in the curriculum to ensure that the graduates are marketable on graduation.
- An Entrepreneurial Centre is under construction in the Annex Campus and a new one is planned for the Main Campus.
- Internally Generated Revenue: Efforts to increase our IGR includes:
- Establishment of University Guest Houses in Uyo, Abuja and Lagos.
- A table Water Plant is under construction.
- For increased access to higher education, we have established the Ime Umanah Campus in Abak for Pre-degree and Basic Studies programmes. This college is affiliated to a consortium of Ukraine Institutions for the training of professionals in Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
- Establishment of Research and Development Unit.
- Establishment of Gender Institute.
- Introduction of Conference Registration and Online Payment of fees for the students.
Students’ Welfare: For prompt service delivery, the Student Affairs now has a Task Force for the maintenance of students’ hostels and utility.
- Physical Development: Resuscitation and completion of long abandoned projects at the Main Campus e.g.
- PG School is completed and occupied, Phase one of Faculty of Science complex completed and occupied,
- Medical Centre is completed and utilized,
- The Central Library complex is near completion,
- Resumption of Work in the Central Administrative block,
- Renovation of Male hostel abandoned since 2005 now completed and occupied.
- University Land: Full documentation of the University land in the Main Campus extensively encroached along Nwaniba Road has been achieved.
AFFILIATIONS & COLLABORATIONS
University of Uyo within the past 3 years attracted much favour. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for affiliation and collaboration with the following institutions:
- West African Infectious Diseases Institute (WAIDI) as centre of excellence in disease control.
- Federal Ministry Health has chosen UNIUYO as Centre for Malaria Vector Surveillance.
- Association of American Medical College (AAMC) for research by staff and students exchange.
- Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on Biodiversity and Climate Change; a Chair has been instituted.
-Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim Norway.
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta for collaboration in Space Science programmes and Waste Management.
- The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Abuja for West Africa Agricultural Productivity Project (WAAPP)
- Nigerian Export Promotion Council for linkage to our entrepreneurial pursuits.
- Stepping Stones Nigeria, Lancaster, UK for fast-track reading project.
- Songhai Farms, Porto Novo, Benin Republic for integrated farm development project.
- Our activities in the University attracted the visit of US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terence McCulley who remarks that UNIUYO “can revitalize Nigeria and serve as an example to other Institutions of higher learning regionally and globally”.
RESEARCH
- Our research endeavour using Jolly Phonics Learning Resources has been incorporated into the Universal Basic Education (UBE) curriculum. This is a fast-tract reading strategy for primary school pupils which has earned national recommended.
- World Bank STEP-B project has given birth to the invention of a Cassava Peeling Machine.
- Six local communities have benefited from our collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN),
Abuja under the West African Agricultural Productivity Project (WAAPP).
- Model Agric farms are established and nurtured in the six local communities.
HONOURS & RECOGNITIONS
Honours and recognitions by staff and students of the University of Uyo has produced inventors and patents.
- Our students have won laurels in and outside the country in various fields of human endeavour.
- A 200-level student of Civil Engineering, Miss Bassey Bassey Etim emerged the overall winner of inter-Universities essay competition organized for Engineering students in the 3rd and 4th years of study in Nigerian Universities at the instance of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
- Another student won the 2012 Nigerian Computer Society quiz competition organized by the Olatunji Odegbami National Information Technology competition for tertiary institutions worldwide, defended his 2012 golden prize by wining the 2013 edition of the 11th International Conference of Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) in Osun state.
- A year-one student of the Department of Music was invited by the South African Government to sing at the funeral of the madiba, the late Nelson Mandela at Qunu, South Africa.
OUR CORPORATE CHALLENGES
RECOGNIZE WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM
TACKLING THE MENACE OF DECAYED INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO
University of Uyo, is burdened with severe decadence associated with infrastructural facilities that needs to be addressed holistically if it must become one of the elite institutions in Nigeria as envisaged.
While the university has been trying to focus on building up its main campus (permanent site), it has to react to some challenges in its other campuses. This is like burning a candle from both ends. It is obvious that maintenance of infrastructure in the town campuses will continue to be an issue bearing in mind the age of the facilities. Currently the challenges we have had to face include the underlisted:
FOR ALL THESE AND MORE, WE NEED IMPROVED FUNDING:
We appreciate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCON, for the promise of enhanced funding which will go along way to address these challenges.
We had enough challenges at hand before the June, 2013 mayhem. Whatever assistance to be given now must address the existing needs.
CONCLUSION
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, these achievements are worth publicizing far and wide with the aim to attract more international and local supports.
I wish to end this short address with this admonition from the Holy Scriptures written by Apostle Paul:
“ ...Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4: 8 (NIV) .
In addition to these progressive thinking,
Publicize the truth too in utterances, in print and other forms of electronic media for the edification of your great profession, welfare of humanity and above all, the Glory of God who is the Judge of all the earth.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT AND LISTENING
Being a text of a welcome address by Prof. (Mrs.) Comfort M. Ekpo Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria presented at the luncheon organized for media practitioners in Akwa Ibom State, January 3, 2014.
- Model Agric farms are established and nurtured in the six local communities.
HONOURS & RECOGNITIONS
Honours and recognitions by staff and students of the University of Uyo has produced inventors and patents.
- Our students have won laurels in and outside the country in various fields of human endeavour.
- A 200-level student of Civil Engineering, Miss Bassey Bassey Etim emerged the overall winner of inter-Universities essay competition organized for Engineering students in the 3rd and 4th years of study in Nigerian Universities at the instance of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
- Another student won the 2012 Nigerian Computer Society quiz competition organized by the Olatunji Odegbami National Information Technology competition for tertiary institutions worldwide, defended his 2012 golden prize by wining the 2013 edition of the 11th International Conference of Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) in Osun state.
- A year-one student of the Department of Music was invited by the South African Government to sing at the funeral of the madiba, the late Nelson Mandela at Qunu, South Africa.
OUR CORPORATE CHALLENGES
RECOGNIZE WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM
TACKLING THE MENACE OF DECAYED INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO
University of Uyo, is burdened with severe decadence associated with infrastructural facilities that needs to be addressed holistically if it must become one of the elite institutions in Nigeria as envisaged.
While the university has been trying to focus on building up its main campus (permanent site), it has to react to some challenges in its other campuses. This is like burning a candle from both ends. It is obvious that maintenance of infrastructure in the town campuses will continue to be an issue bearing in mind the age of the facilities. Currently the challenges we have had to face include the underlisted:
FOR ALL THESE AND MORE, WE NEED IMPROVED FUNDING:
We appreciate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCON, for the promise of enhanced funding which will go along way to address these challenges.
We had enough challenges at hand before the June, 2013 mayhem. Whatever assistance to be given now must address the existing needs.
CONCLUSION
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, these achievements are worth publicizing far and wide with the aim to attract more international and local supports.
I wish to end this short address with this admonition from the Holy Scriptures written by Apostle Paul:
“ ...Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4: 8 (NIV) .
In addition to these progressive thinking,
Publicize the truth too in utterances, in print and other forms of electronic media for the edification of your great profession, welfare of humanity and above all, the Glory of God who is the Judge of all the earth.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT AND LISTENING
Being a text of a welcome address by Prof. (Mrs.) Comfort M. Ekpo Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria presented at the luncheon organized for media practitioners in Akwa Ibom State, January 3, 2014.
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