....Unveils Bold Transformative Agenda to Restore Fading Glory of UNN
History was made today at the Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), as Prof. Simon Ortuanya was officially inaugurated as the 16th substantive Vice Chancellor of Nigeria’s first indigenous university. He takes over from Prof. T. Ujam, who had been serving in an acting capacity.
The event, attended by principal officers of the university, representatives from the Enugu State Government House, traditional rulers, Dr. Dan Shere, Hon. Chinedu Onu, and members of the UNN management team, was marked by a blend of academic tradition and symbolic significance. It was not merely a handover; it was the official call to a new era in the Lion’s Den, an era Prof. Ortuanya says will be defined by reform, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Described as a reformer, strategist, and tested administrator, Prof. Ortuanya unveiled a bold Transformative Agenda aimed at restoring the fading glory of UNN and positioning it as a globally competitive, multifunctional, research-intensive, and entrepreneurial university. His blueprint includes refurbishing classrooms into digitally connected smart hubs, modernizing laboratories, revamping libraries with premium global database subscriptions, upgrading hostels, offices, and roads, and aligning infrastructure with international accreditation standards.
In the digital space, he pledged a paperless university, campus-wide high-speed broadband through optic fibre, AI-trained ICT personnel, 24/7 CCTV surveillance, and solar-powered mini-grids. He also announced a ₦100 million competitive postgraduate research fund, the establishment of an international-standard UNN Business School, and aggressive pursuit of grants, patents, and global research collaborations.
Other pillars of his agenda include overhauling financial management, mobilizing alumni-driven capital campaigns, promoting a clean and green campus through structured waste management, improving medical facilities, implementing gender and inclusion policies, and ensuring merit-based recruitment.
“At the heart of this mission is not just the production of graduates, but the shaping of destinies and the driving of socio-economic transformation,” Prof. Ortuanya declared. “This is about restoring the dignity of man — not as a mere slogan, but as a living reality.”
Prof. Ortuanya’s emergence is particularly historic, breaking a 60-year-old jinx as the first Enugu State indigene to be appointed substantive Vice Chancellor of UNN since its establishment in 1960. His appointment on August 3 was widely celebrated across the Southeast as a triumph of merit, equity, and regional representation.
The Chief Whip of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Dr. Ejike Jude Eze, congratulated the new VC, describing the appointment as “earned and inspiring,” while expressing gratitude to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for playing a pivotal role in making it possible.
A Professor of Law with an extensive background in academia and public administration, Prof. Ortuanya previously served as Secretary to the Enugu State Government and Director General of the South-East Governors’ Forum. His leadership style is expected to blend academic rigor with strategic governance experience.