The University of Benin (UNIBEN) has appointed Professor Edoba Omoregie as its 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor, as he officially assumed office on Monday.
In his inaugural speech, Professor Omoregie outlined his vision for transforming the university, with a strong focus on improving staff and student welfare, as well as creating a more conducive environment for both work and learning.
Professor Omoregie, who hails from the Faculty of Law, succeeded Professor Lilian Salami, whose five-year tenure came to an end on the same day.
In his address, the new VC acknowledged the numerous challenges faced by Nigerian public universities, including shrinking public funding and frequent labor strikes.
Despite these obstacles, he expressed confidence that the university system could be revitalized through innovative funding solutions, improved access to education, infrastructural development, and better staff welfare.
He commended the Federal Government’s efforts to improve educational access, citing initiatives like the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), which helps support infrastructure projects in universities.
He promised to educate students on the benefits of NELFUND, urging them to take advantage of the funding opportunities it offers.
In addition, Professor Omoregie paid tribute to his predecessor, Professor Salami, for her leadership and achievements during her tenure, which he described as transformative for the university.
Earlier, during her farewell address, Professor Salami reflected on her time at the helm of UNIBEN, highlighting the accomplishments of her administration.
She noted the successful implementation of her seven-point agenda, which included training and deploying non-academic staff to address staffing gaps.
She also expressed frustration over the federal government’s continued embargo on employment, which hindered her ability to achieve even more.
In a Thanksgiving and Book Launch event marking the end of her tenure, Salami spoke about the major challenges faced by public universities in Nigeria, such as inadequate funding, personnel shortages, and ongoing strikes by both academic and non-academic staff.
She also praised the NELFUND policy, which she described as a critical step towards making higher education more accessible to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
She emphasized, however, that while progress had been made, much work remains to be done.
Reflecting on her time managing UNIBEN, Salami humorously compared overseeing the students to managing a chaotic motor park, mentioning how student unrest was sometimes fueled by the support of staff and even parents.
In her memoir, So Much to Say, she acknowledged the challenges but expressed hope that the university would continue to thrive and grow in the years ahead.
“I have done my best to wrap it up. My prayer is that the university continues to grow beyond what we have achieved,” she concluded.
