PORT HARCOURT, Rivers State – July 27, 2025 – Professor Okey Onuchuku, the Vice-Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, has been honoured with the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award by his alma mater, the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). The recognition, bestowed during UNIPORT’s convocation ceremony on July 26, celebrates Professor Onuchuku’s stellar academic excellence and resilience, securing his place in the university’s hall of fame.
In an exclusive interview with Africa Update, following the award, Professor Onuchuku expressed profound joy at the recognition. “I feel very great and happy for the award my Alma Mater is able to recognise me,” he stated. He recounted his multifaceted contributions to UNIPORT, spanning his time as a student, lecturer, and administrator. “If I recount when I was a student, apart from academics, I also did very well in sports. I won Gold medal for University of Port Harcourt in football as a student, I also won Gold medal in football as team manager when I started lecturing.”
He highlighted his academic prowess, being the best graduating student in his set, and his continuous commitment to the university after pursuing his Masters and PhD there. He served two tenures as Head of the Department of Economics, became Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and was Director of the UNIPORT Business School. “As an Alumnus, I have contributed very well to the development and growth of the department of Economics which I was head of department for two tenures and became the dean of faculty of social sciences. I also served the university as a Director University of Port Harcourt Business School.
“I also served as a member of the university Council which is the highest organ in the university. As a professor I also served as member of various Committees- both senate and Council of the University. So you will see that as an Aluminus I have contributed greatly to that University. I also used my contact to ensure that things moved very well when I was Head of Department I was able to make my friends to buy a generator of over 30KVA for the faculty of Social Sciences and even furnished the Econometric lab for the Department of Economics which attracted from NDDC particularly from my friend who was the EDFA then, Dr. Lambert Konboye, who actually furnished the econometrics lab,” he affirmed.
As a pioneer president of the U86 set of the University, he led efforts to provide a 15KVA inverter solar energy system for the Daniel Ekok Library. “And not only stopping there, I also put together the U86 set of the University. We have that body now. That body has also contributed very well to the development of the University. If you go to the library now, you will see about 15KVA inverter, solar energy that is powering Daniel Ekok library. We did that. I remember that I commissioned it as a pioneer president of U86 set of University of Port Harcourt. So many other things we tried to do for the university. Even as I am serving as Vice Chancellor at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, each time I am called upon to do something for the University, particularly in accreditation of departments, in faculty of social sciences, I give them my maximum corporation both financially and otherwise. So, the University recognising all these, decided to honour me and I am really very happy for it. And I wish that most Alumini should try and give back to the University. Just as the Minister for FCT said the other day that it is good to give back to the University that made you. And he enumerated most of the things he has done for the university of Port Harcourt, Rivers State University and even the legal education. So it is good that when you find yourself in an advantage position to remember the university that actually made you. That is what some of us are really talking about.Even as I am serving as Vice Chancellor at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, each time I am called upon to do something for the University… I give them my maximum corporation both financially and otherwise,” He said.
Addressing the Decline in Academic Quality
When questioned about recent surveys indicating a decline in the academic substance of graduands, Professor Onuchuku identified several critical factors contributing to the challenge and offered pathways forward.
“Children these days are not ready to study hard the way we did,” he observed, lamenting that while technology offers aid to study, students often misuse it for “irresponsible sciencing.”
A stark warning was issued regarding some educators: “There are also people who have found themselves in academics as lecturers that are not called to the job. They are not professionals… such people don’t have ethics, they don’t have integrity, they don’t have character, so they come in and do all manner of things with students and even sell grades.”
Poverty was also cited as a significant impediment. “Some students cannot afford three square meals a day. Some are looking for something to do outside in order to get money to pay for their education.” However, he championed the Federal Government’s Student Loan Fund (NALFUND), encouraging students to leverage it. “Federal government through this student loan scheme pay school fees and also give upkeep for students so I really advocate that more students should take advantage of that.”
Professor Onuchuku also pointed to the alarming infiltration of cultism into universities, which he believes diverts bright students and instills fear, affecting their ability to focus on academics.
Finally, he highlighted foundational issues stemming from primary and secondary education. “The background is also weak. Some of these students can’t write very well. So, it is a carryover from primary and secondary school to the university level.” He expressed concern over low JAMB cutoff marks (as low as 140-150 for universities), which he considers a “complete fail,” yet are necessary to allow admissions.
In summary, Professor Onuchuku attributed the decline to a confluence of factors: student readiness, lecturer professionalism, poverty, cultism, and weak foundational education. “The standards are there, the curriculum are still the same but the ability of the students to cope with the standard is the problem,” he concluded, emphasizing the need for collective action to uplift academic quality.
