“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but make our life in harmony with all existence.” – Nobel laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore
Aware that University education, is a key pathway to dignified personality moulding, human empowerment and the development of nations; Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, on assumption of office in January 2020, expressed his commitment to leaving enduring legacies in all sectors of the State’s economy including education. And, indeed, the visionary Governor is leading true to this dream.
Resolutely, Governor Uzodimma began by resetting the dysfunctional educational institutions in the State to optimum performance level. This excellent and progressive intentions may have occasioned Governor Uzodimma’s sincere search for proficient and experienced scholars to drive the State-owned universities to greater heights and ofcourse world class status.
The curious quest and painstaking search eventually threw up, Professor Ikechukwu Nosike Simplicius Dozie as Vice Chancellor of K O Mbadiwe University in May 2021 and he is proving his mettle as a perfect tool for the intensive task.
It was an impeccable wisdom on the part of the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to immortalise the late nationalist, politician, statesman and a Central Minister in the First Republic, Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe (1915–1990) who hails from Orlu Imo State, with the University’s name.
Hence, the choice of K O Mbadiwe as the new name for the University at Ogboko, with the Imo State of Nigeria Law No 1 of 2021 that repealed and replaced the Imo State of Nigeria Law No 13 of 2016, which named the institution “Eastern Palm University”, upon establishment and registration as the 42nd State University and 143rd in the Nigerian University System.
The unprecedented transformations and developments ongoing at the second Imo State owned university, K O Mbadiwe University (KOMU), Ogboko in the past two (2) years can certainly be traced to God, Imo State Governor Hope Odidika Uzodimma and the University management led by its articulated and proactive Vice Chancellor, Professor Ikechukwu Nosike Simplicius Dozie.
Very noticeably, K O Mbadiwe University is fast reshaping to emerge as a knowledge power with its recent introductions of ideal innovations that is reforming its education structure and standards to meeting the world class standards.
The top management of KOMU has installed an appropriate architecture for university education that creates an appropriate and navigable roadmap to facilitate genuine, academically credible, and enduring improvements in the quality of its education. .
The dogged efforts of Prof. Dozie and his team has inevitably sponsored the progressive evolution of successful strategies dealing with the teething issues concerning academic and educational excellence, funding, support facilities’ suitability, academic staff qualifications, and graduates’ competencies.
To improve the quality of any academic institution; commitment and expertise knowledge of the leadership is priority. It on this premise that the University Management is vigorously pursuing its 11-point Strategic Goals of Action (SGA) that is summarised in achieving the fundamental mission of K O Mbadiwe University encapsulated in research, teaching and community service.
“Within the higher education system, research universities play a critical role in training the professionals, high-level specialists, scientists, and researchers needed by the economy and in generating new knowledge in support of the national innovation system” (World Bank 2002).
Stemming on the above assertion, Prof Dozie and his management team are pushing KOMU to world-class status; meaning that the university will be operating at the cutting-edge of intellectual and scientific development, as recognised by the global rankings, having become the goal of all modern day University administrators globally.
In recognition of the academic and educational strengths and potentials of K O. Mbadiwe University, Ogboko, many students appear to be desirously seeking admissions into the University for various courses of interest.
More to it, this year will host the University’s first convocation which will be conducted with the new but digital policy innovation of “Graduating Students Convoking with Original Degree Certificates”.
Conscious of the fact that our present day society is very ripe for another paramount shift in our understanding of the university as the key to our continuously varying world, Professor Dozie has initiated classic innovations that is upgrading KOMU to the status of a modern research university, flexible enough to accommodate learning across disciplines which harmonises education with the needs of a society.
Findings reveals that with strategic innovations put in place by the current Varsity management team; K O Mbadiwe University, is up and running with state-of-the-art facilities that has made visual classroom and online lectures an integral part of its new education policy such that students can take lectures from anywhere via smart phones and laptops.
The university management has further developed active partnerships with some first class universities in world to enhance the University’s educational standing.
K O. Mbadiwe University offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses covering various faculties including Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Social and Management Sciences, Environmental Sciences offering Architecture and Estate Management; Computer and Information Technology and has concluded plans for Law, Nursing Sciences, Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health, Information Technology, Cybersecurity to take-off in take off in the 2023/2024 academic session with Maritime Sciences in the Phase two (2) Academic Development.
More interestingly, the University’s relationship with the host communities is most cordial and peaceful. The architectural and infrastructural development is superb and as such promotes healthy, safe and aesthetic environment conducive for a productive and developmental academic programmes.
