Education

UNTH Completes Cardiac Centre

Published

14 years ago

November 28, 2012

Chief Medical Director, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, Dr. Chris Amah, has explained that the urgent attention given to the Cardiac Centre was to save cost for Nigerians who travel abroad for heart surgery.

He stated that with the new development, the hope of patients to survival had been fully restored, adding that the resuscitation of the state-of the art Cardio-thoracic theatre and that of the Oxygen plant at the UNTH, Enugu marked a turning point of his administration’s transformational reform since his appointment last year.

Declaring open the 41st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Cardiac Society, on behalf of the Minister for Health Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, in Enugu over the weekend, Dr. Amah stated that having performed Nigeria’s first open heart surgery in 1974 to rank as a world class hospital, “I am now more determined to take UNTH to the next level in health care service”.

According to him, in order to improve medical service in the hospital, “My administration has reactivated the Oxygen plant, established additional intensive care units with the state-of- the art equipment and converted the accounts and audit buildings to new patient’s wards, while a multi-million naira complex is under construction to provide accommodation to some of the UNTH 10 schools at the permanent site Ituku-Ozalla”.

In his speech, the president of Nigerian Cardiac Society (NCS), Prof Solomon Danbauchi, raised serious alarm over the rising cases of hypertension and Coronary related diseases in the country, calling on the people to imbibe good dietary culture to check the incidence.

He, therefore, used the occasion to reaffirm the commitment of the association to exploring better methods of improving the cardiovascular health of Nigerians.

Also in his remark on the occasion, Chairman of the National Cardio- Thoracic Centre of Excellence, UNTH Enugu and Provost College of Medicine UNN, Prof Basden Onwubere, had expressed joy that the centre, which lost steam, following the re-location of the hospital to Ituku-Ozalla in 2007, was now fully operational again and commended the UNTH new chief medical director, Dr. Chris Amah for resuscitating the centre.

Earlier, chairman of the local organizing committee for the conference, Dr. Benedict Anisiuba of the University of Nigeria, Enugu-campus, explained that the theme of the conference, “The Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases in Nigeria” was chosen to draw global attention to issues of cardiovascular health of the people with a view to coming out with measures to ameliorate the problem.

Dr. Anisiuba further disclosed that for the first time in such health summits, the results of the first multinational drug trial, comparing newer and older anti-hypertension agents in native Africans (NOAAH TRIAL), would be formally presented at the conference.

UNTH Enugu, he went on, “is a 500-bed hospital, but Dr. Amah, has further expanded it with wards for over 200 patients including those with neurological cases”, he stressed.

The conference, hosted by UNTH Enugu, attracted cream of medical personnel from India, Europe, Asia and some African countries, including the guest speaker, Dr. S.K. Murthy of the Innova Hospital, Hyderabad, India.

Education

IAUE Trains HODs, Deans Ahead of NUC Resource Verification

Published

1 day ago

August 17, 2026

The Tide

The Academic Planning Unit of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, IAUE, has organized a Pre-Resource Assessment Workshop for Heads of Department and Deans as part of preparations for the forthcoming NUC Resource Verification exercise.

The workshop held on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at the Postgraduate Hall of the University. It drew professors, deans and HODs from across faculties.

Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Okechukwu Onuchukwu, the University Librarian, Prof. Emmanuel Okwu, welcomed principal officers and other participants. He described the session as critical to ensuring the University’s readiness for the NUC assessment.

Prof. Okwu stressed that the exercise was not routine but a strategic step toward meeting national standards. He urged participants to take the presentations seriously and implement recommendations in their departments.

The Director of the Academic Planning Unit, in his welcome address, said the workshop was designed to assess the level of preparedness of departments ahead of the verification. He noted that the University had already invested significantly in facilities and staffing and was now awaiting the NUC team.

Three resource persons took participants through key aspects of the verification process. The Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Joseph Kinanee, spoke on “NUC Resource Verification and Their Requirements.”

Prof. Levi Doe Kalagbor, Director of Quality Assurance, addressed “The Role of Staff in Successful Resource Verification Exercise.” Prof. Isaac Ogundu, Dean of the Faculty of Vocational and Technical Education, presented on “NUC Scoring Format/Guide and Its Implication for Approval Status.”

The presentations were followed by an interactive question-and-answer session. Participants sought clarifications on documentation, facilities and staffing ratios, and received detailed responses from the facilitators.

In his closing remarks, Prof. Okwu thanked everyone for their active participation and engagement. He expressed optimism that IAUE would record a successful outcome in the upcoming NUC resource verification. The programme ended with a closing prayer and refreshments.

Education

UNIPORT VC Hails Postgraduate School Over Planned International Conference

Published

1 day ago

August 17, 2026

The Tide

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Chike Princewill, has commended the School of Graduate Studies for initiating an international conference, describing it as a timely move to boost research output, academic excellence and the University’s global visibility.

Prof. Princewill gave the commendation on Friday while receiving members of the conference planning committee set up by the School. The delegation was led by the Associate Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Doris Adameh.

He applauded the committee for conceiving the project and urged members to pursue it with diligence and strategic planning. According to him, such academic gatherings are critical to positioning UNIPORT as a hub for cutting-edge research in the region and beyond.

The Vice-Chancellor specifically charged the committee to engage the University’s alumni as strategic partners in the execution of the conference. He noted that their networks, experience and resources would add significant value to the event.

Prof. Princewill further directed the team to reach out to former postgraduate students of the University to solicit their support and cooperation. He said their involvement would help ensure wider participation and a more successful hosting.

He stressed that alumni remain vital stakeholders in the University’s growth agenda. “Their contributions can significantly enhance the success of the event and strengthen our academic and research profile,” he stated.

Earlier in her remarks, Prof. Adameh said the committee was constituted by the School of Graduate Studies to plan and deliver an international conference that meets global standards. She noted that the process was already underway.

Prof. Adameh explained that the conference is designed to bring together scholars, researchers and professionals from across the world. The goal, she added, is to advance knowledge exchange and foster academic collaboration that will benefit both the University and the wider scholarly community.

By: Amadi Akujobi

Education

Education Commissioner hails RSU’S growth research as key to rivers development

Published

1 day ago

August 17, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended Rivers State University, RSU, for its resilience, academic growth and research contributions, describing the institution as critical to the state’s socio-economic development.

Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during an official visit to the University in Nkpolu-Oroworukwo. He held talks with principal officers, provosts, campus heads, deans and directors at the Dr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike Senate Building.

The Commissioner said the visit was to engage the University’s leadership on consolidating gains and strengthening capacity for quality teaching, cutting-edge research, innovation and community service. He noted that RSU occupies a strategic position in the state’s development agenda.

Reaffirming government’s commitment, Dr. Nwagor said education remains the bedrock of human capital development and economic transformation. He stressed that investments in infrastructure, staff development and digital learning must be matched with strong institutional systems, transparency and measurable outcomes.

He urged the University to prioritize key performance indicators such as accreditation performance, research output, internally generated revenue, student outcomes and graduate employability. According to him, these metrics should drive continuous improvement across faculties.

Dr. Nwagor also charged RSU to accelerate its digital transformation, establish research and innovation hubs to solve real societal problems, and maintain existing infrastructure. He advised management to explore sustainable funding through grants, endowments, alumni engagement and strategic industry partnerships.

The Commissioner emphasized that government and the University must play complementary roles. While government meets its statutory funding obligations, he said, the institution must strengthen internal efficiency and pursue legitimate private-sector collaborations.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, appreciated the State Government for its sustained support. He highlighted last year’s budgetary intervention for accreditation, approval of funds for the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Film Festival slated for November 2026, and the implementation of the new minimum wage for RSU staff.

Prof. Zeb-Obipi, however, drew attention to pressing challenges. He cited shortages of teaching and non-teaching staff ahead of accreditation exercises, inadequate classrooms, libraries, equipment and office spaces, and acute accommodation deficits for staff and students.

The Vice-Chancellor appealed for support to recruit more personnel, retain retired academics on contract, and engage sabbatical and adjunct lecturers. He also requested funding for NUC and professional accreditation scheduled for October, stressing that successful outcomes are vital to RSU’s competitiveness. He reaffirmed management’s commitment to work with government to position RSU as a leading centre of knowledge, research and innovation.

By Amadi Akujobi