The Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Prof Owunari Georgewill, has been honoured by Time Africa Magazine, as the Change Maker of the Year 2022.
Time Africa is an International Biweekly Magazine with a culture of excellence with correspondents across the nations of Africa.
A statement by the university’s Public Relations Officer,Dr Sam Kpenu, in Port Harcourt,said the presentation of the awards to the VC was done, last Monday, at the Vice Chancellors Office, University of Port Harcourt by the Chairman of Time Africa Board, Rory Knight based in Washington, DC, United States of America.
The statement quotedKnight as saying that Georgewill was honoured because of the highest level of excellence and achievement in his field, his impacts which have a lasting legacy in Nigeria, the continent and around the world.
The statement said the board chairman, who was represented by the Managing Director andEditor-In-Chief of the magazine, Chidi-Peters Okorie said, “African 100 Award/Medal of Honour is bestowed on Professor Owunari Georgewill based on three criteria: outstanding research, unusually effective teaching, and distinguished professorial service.
“Today, he is given this medal of honour and listed among the African 100 due to his high impact performance, and I hope that this honour shall bring to Professor Georgewill a feeling of accomplishment and encourage him to move forward with increased confidence and strength,” he said.
Knight said the University of Port Harcourt has become Africa’s education game-changer, shifting from teacher-centric education to student-centric education, noting that Geogewill, upon assumption of office, has made history through his fearless, strong, and determined programmes that have set transformational agenda for a competitive University of Port Harcourt.
He described Georgewill as a reformer who has introduced several reform programmes that have brought the university’s management closer to staff, students, and stakeholders through “This Week In Retrospect” and “Welcome To A New Week”.
Knight said, “under Georgewill’s leadership, the university has made tremendous progress in areas of academic, international collaborations with universities in Africa and Europe as well as Canada and the US, and has attracted government and international organisations in the infrastructure uplifting of the university”.
The international magazine also noted that from available records, the university was currently a construction ground for faculty buildings, hostel accommodation buildings, professorial office buildings, staff office buildings, classrooms, lecture theatres, lecture auditoriums, solar power for electricity supply, academic excellence with the participation of staff and students in local and international conferences, workshops, seminars, and post-graduate training, amongst others, and expressed the hope that these awards; the medal of honour and African 100 would spur him to greater heights by not relenting on his oars.
Responding, Prof Georgewill Owunari expressed appreciation to Time Africa Magazine for the recognition, and dedicated the award to all men and women of goodwill striving for excellence in their various fields of endeavour and to God Almighty.
He said the journey so far has been interesting, and revealed that he would use every opportunity at his disposal to present the university to the national and international levels.
He described himself as a servant who works along with other members of staff (teaching and non-teaching) and students to perform at optimal level to develop the university.
He told his audience, “Since my assumption of office on July 13, 2021, justice and fair play have been my watchword. I provide equal opportunity for all, irrespective of tribe, religion, or gender. I give high consideration to gender parity in all my appointments, and maintain the rule of law in all my actions by playing by the extant rules of the university”.
He assured the organisation that he would not be scared to delve into uncharted waters, saying that that has been the conveyor belt that has enabled him to continue to thrive in leaps and bounds; creating an engaging environment to nurture academic growth and encourage a culture of research and development, teaching and learning as well as community service.

By: Amadi Akujobi