There is a real sweet spot between challenge and hope, but good leaders make pathways that keep both firmly in view. For the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, the first university of technology in Nigeria, the emergence of the new Management led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, has restored the faith of the good people of the state that ESUT can still realise the goals of the founding fathers.
Taking over the mantle on April 12th, 2022, Prof Okolie, began navigating the murky waters of administration in ESUT with virile energy and focus which left no one in doubt that he knew what he has come to do. Just few months in the saddle, there are testimonies resulting from his astute stewardship.
Prof. Okolie’s led administration hinged its keen interest on restoring the old values envisaged by the founding fathers of ESUT with a purpose of making the citadel of learning to be reckoned with as one of the first-class and highly competitive universities East of the Niger with administrative and academic excellence comparable to other global top-class tertiary institutions.
“The first vision I have for ESUT is to restore the basic values of scholarship and research and to turn the minds of the academia, including the non-teaching staff into believing in themselves and getting the internal orientation arising from reflection. I will make them to believe that they are cut out to perform specific functions which have to do with promoting teaching, research, collaboration and networking between groups, trans-groups and inter-groups with a view to extending frontiers of knowledge and building a very virile community of scholars in ESUT,” he said.
True to his pledges, and as the sun rises over the sprawling campus of ESUT, students and staff alike have become accustomed to the sweeping changes that have occurred under the leadership of Professor Okolie. Since assuming office as Vice Chancellor, he has been on a mission to transform the university into a centre of excellence that serves not only the state of Enugu, but the entire nation and beyond.
With over twenty years of academic experience, Professor Okolie is no stranger to the world of academia. His research interests span a wide range of topics, including political theory, human rights, conflict resolution, and international relations. He has authored several books and numerous academic papers, and his work has been widely cited by scholars and policymakers alike.
But it is his leadership of ESUT that has earned him widespread acclaim in recent months. Under his stewardship, the University has undergone a rapid transformation that has left many observers amazed at the speed and efficiency of the changes that have taken place.
These transformations cut across physical development, staff and students’ welfare, discipline, research and innovation, scholarship, revival of committee system and return to the extant culture of the University among others.
Physical infrastructure: One of the most notable achievements of Professor Okolie’s administration has been the construction of a multi-million-naira asphalted pavilion for convocation, matriculation, and other ceremonies at ESUT. This has provided a much-needed upgrade to the University’s infrastructure and has given students and staff alike a sense of pride and belonging.
Chronicles of other modest achievements that fall under infrastructural development and improvement of existing facilities include but not limited to: replacement of seats at the Julius Onah Auditorium, ESUT; replacement of seats at the Senate Chambers; installation of solar energy in the Vice Chancellor’s office; improvement of electricity supply on campus by attracting the donation of additional electric feeder from stakeholders in the state.
Other infrastructural upgrade includes refurbishing of the Vice Chancellor’s office; hand-marking of the borehole sponsored by Prince Arthur Eze; and commissioning of the borehole sponsored by the Faculty of Engineering among others.
But Professor Okolie has not stopped there. He has also reintroduced a Committee on Reward and Excellence to encourage scholarship and excellent service delivery in the University. This move has been widely applauded by staff and students alike, as it has helped to foster a culture of excellence and achievement at ESUT. Prof. Okolie’s led Management has equally renovated students’ hall of residences and provided light and water to make students habitation very conducive in the Institution.
Staff and students’ welfare
In addition, Professor Okolie’s administration has been keen to address issues of justice, equity, and fairness within the University. To this end, the first phase of regularization and biometric capture of staff has been concluded. This exercise has helped to curb the ghost workers syndrome that has plagued many Nigerian universities in recent years and has ensured that the University is staffed by dedicated and committed professionals. It was through these efforts and prudent management of available resources that the University was able to reduce its wage bill from June 2022 till date to the tune to over N40,000,000. The regularisation exercise has equally resulted to the promotion of many staff of the University who were hitherto stagnated in their previous ranks.
Moreover, Professor Okolie has made it clear that departments that need critical staff will be provided with the necessary resources to ensure that they can operate at full capacity. This has been a welcome development for many departments that have struggled to meet their targets due to staffing shortages.
Perhaps most importantly, Professor Okolie’s administration has not owed staff monthly salaries since he assumed duty. This has been a significant morale booster for staff, who have often had to go for months without pay due to financial constraints within the University. With a total subvention of N204,000,000 from the state government, and the 17 local government councils of the state, the University under Prof. Okolie, has not reneged in fulfilling this statutory obligation to the workforce despite N184,000,000 indebtedness by some of the local government chairmen to the University.
His administration equally revamped the ESUT Transport Scheme to cushion the effects of harsh economic realities on the staff and students of the Institution. The buses terminals were strategically located to ensure that the staff and students do not pay through their noses to and from the Institution.
The reforms initiated by Professor Okolie’s administration have not been limited to the financial and administrative realms. He has also been keen to maintain excellence in teaching, research, and community service at ESUT. To this end, the University has engaged MTN to provide 4G network to boost internet connectivity on campus. This has helped to increase research and efficiency in service delivery by the staff and students of the university.
Scholarships
Furthermore, under Professor Okolie’s leadership, the admission quota for the Institution’s College of Medicine has increased from 50 to 120. There is hope that this number will be increased to 150 once the University meets the requirements of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN. Similarly, the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, which previously had admission quota of 35, now enjoys a quota of 120, thanks to the efforts of Professor Okolie’s administration. In addition, 21 out of 23 academic programmes reviewed by the National Universities Commission, NUC, have been re-accredited. Also worthy of note is the improved webometric ranking of the University by the NUC in its 2023 rankings of the Nigerian Universities where ESUT was elevated to 29 out of 111 universities in Nigeria. The Management is not resting on its oars to ensure continued improvement of the Varsity in subsequent rankings.
ESUT had not held convocation ceremony since 2016, but on the 26th November, 2022, Prof. Okolie’s administration broke the jinx and held a consolidated convocation in the University and vowed that the academic exercise would be an annual ritual in the Institution.
Internally Generated Revenue
Prof. Okolie, also leads the pack of other Vice Chancellors who have begun to think outside the box to augment meagre resources accruing to universities as a result of low budgetary allocations to the education sector. He has taken a bold step towards addressing this challenge by venturing into agriculture.
The Management of the University has mapped out 15 hectares of land for planting oil palm seedlings and pawpaw trees. The first phase of the project, which involves the planting of 600 seedlings of hybrid palm trees, is already completed. The University aims to plant a total of 2000 seedlings with the aim of becoming major suppliers of palm oil and pawpaw fruits within the next two years in Enugu State. To achieve this, the University is working with consultants to embark on mechanized agriculture, which will ensure a large-scale, cost-effective and efficient operation.
The decision of the University to venture into agriculture is commendable as it provides avenue for revenue generation for the Institution and serves as a means of creating employment opportunities for the people of Enugu State along the agricultural value chain. It is also in line with the Federal Government’s diversification policy towards agriculture as a means of boosting the country’s economy.
In addition to these, the Management of the University is also making efforts to fully digitize its records. This move is aimed at improving the quality of service delivery to students and staff of the Institution. The digitization process will ensure that transcripts and other academic records are readily accessible and can be processed within seven days, thus eliminating the long queues and delays associated with manual processing of transcripts.
The benefits of this move are enormous, as it will enhance transparency and accountability in the system, reduce administrative bottlenecks, and improve the overall quality of service delivery to stakeholders of the University.
The Management’s decision to venture into agriculture and digitization is a step in the right direction, and it is hoped that other institutions will emulate this initiative. It is imperative for higher institutions to explore other viable means of generating revenue, especially in the face of dwindling allocation to the education sector.
Professor Okolie’s tenure as Vice Chancellor has been characterized by a strong commitment to excellence, innovation, and reform. He has demonstrated a deep understanding of the challenges facing Nigerian universities, and has taken decisive action to address them.
