Professor Ursula Ngozi Akanwa has pledged to align the future direction of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike with the agricultural and education priorities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at her inauguration as the seventh Vice Chancellor of the institution, the university’s first female Vice Chancellor outlined an ambitious roadmap focused on innovation, enterprise and global relevance.
She said her administration would reposition the university as a centre of excellence in agricultural research and technology, not only within the South East and Nigeria, but across Africa and beyond.
According to her, the institution will intensify efforts to equip students with practical skills that encourage enterprise creation rather than dependence on paid employment. She explained that greater emphasis would be placed on agribusiness development, entrepreneurship and innovation to enable graduates to contribute meaningfully to national food security and economic growth.
Professor Ngozi Akanwa stated that her vision is to build a financially stable and innovation driven university that stands at the forefront of agricultural research, education and technology. She highlighted key areas of focus to include climate smart agriculture, biotechnology, artificial intelligence in farming, modern agricultural technologies and agribusiness management.
She assured staff and students that her leadership would promote transparency, fairness and adherence to high academic standards in line with the mandate of universities of agriculture. She also promised a supportive administrative environment that encourages productivity and excellence.
The Vice Chancellor further disclosed that her administration would work towards completing ongoing projects within the university while giving priority attention to staff welfare, which she described as essential to achieving institutional goals.
