History was made today at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), as Prof. Simon Ortuanya was officially inaugurated as the 16th substantive Vice Chancellor of Nigeria’s first indigenous university—an appointment the Enugu State Government has hailed with profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding an illustrious son of the state worthy of the position. Prof. Ortuanya, the first Enugu State indigene to hold the office since the university’s establishment in 1960, succeeds Prof. T. Ujam, who had served in an acting capacity.
The ceremony, held at the Office of the Vice Chancellor, drew 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. It combined academic tradition with symbolic significance, ushering in what Prof. Ortuanya described as a new era of reform, innovation, and relentless pursuit of excellence in the Lion’s Den.
Widely described as a reformer, strategist, and seasoned administrator, Prof. Ortuanya unveiled a sweeping Transformative Agenda aimed at restoring UNN’s fading glory and positioning it as a globally competitive, multifunctional, research-intensive, and entrepreneurial university. His blueprint includes converting classrooms into digitally connected smart hubs, modernizing laboratories, revamping libraries with premium global database subscriptions, upgrading hostels, offices, and internal roads, and aligning all infrastructure with international accreditation standards.
In the digital sphere, he pledged a paperless university, campus-wide high-speed broadband via 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, plans for an international-standard UNN Business School, and an aggressive push for grants, patents, and global research collaborations.
Other pillars of his agenda include overhauling financial management, mobilizing alumni-driven capital campaigns, implementing structured waste management for a clean and green campus, improving medical facilities, enforcing 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.”
Briefing Government House correspondents at the weekend after the State Executive Council meeting, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo, said: “The Enugu Exco extended a profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding this illustrious son of Enugu, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, worthy to be appointed the VC of the UNN.”
The Chief Whip of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Dr. Ejike Jude Eze, also congratulated the new VC, describing the appointment as “earned and inspiring,” while thanking Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for playing a pivotal role in making it possible.
A Professor of Law with vast experience in academia and public service, Prof. Ortuanya previously served as Secretary to the Enugu State Government and Director General of the South-East Governors’ Forum. His leadership is expected to blend academic rigor with strategic governance expertise, ushering in what many believe will be a golden era for UNN.
