_...As Dominican University appoints KOMU Staff, Prof. Jacinta Opara, Vice Chancellor

By Eneojo Herbert

In a significant development for higher education in Nigeria, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted full accreditation status to three academic programs at Kingsley Ozumba (K.O.) Mbadiwe University (KOMU), Ideato. This accreditation, achieved during the October/November 2023 exercise, applies to the Computer Science, Economics, and Sociology programs.

The Vice Chancellor of KOMU, Professor Ikechukwu N. S. Dozie, received the official accreditation letter from the NUC, confirming the university's compliance with the minimum academic standards stipulated in Section 10 (1) of the Education (National Minimum and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004. This accreditation underscores the university’s commitment to maintaining high educational standards.

Professor Dozie attributed this success to divine providence, the continuous support from the Visitor to the University and Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, and the dedicated efforts of the university staff. With this achievement, all mature programs at KOMU now enjoy full accreditation status.

Prof. Jacinta Opara Appointed Vice Chancellor of Dominican University

Adding to the university’s accolades, Professor Jacinta Opara has been appointed as the second substantive Vice Chancellor of Dominican University, Ibadan. Prior to this prestigious appointment, Professor Opara served as the Director of Partnerships, Collaborations, and Advancement at K.O. Mbadiwe University.

Her selection followed a rigorous process conducted by a professional recruiting firm and a panel of top academics, adhering to global best practices for filling strategic positions in higher education. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dominican University, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), announced the appointment, emphasizing Professor Opara’s distinguished track record in higher education and her commitment to advancing learning and research.

Professor Opara’s appointment marks a historic moment as she becomes the first female Vice Chancellor of Dominican University. Her term will span five years, during which she is expected to significantly impact the university and the broader academic community.

Professor Dozie, Vice Chancellor of K.O. Mbadiwe University, praised the quality of the recruitment process that initially brought Professor Opara to KOMU. He highlighted the university’s adherence to rigorous recruitment standards, aligning with the vision of Governor Uzodimma, who emphasizes merit-based appointments through advertisements, interviews, and the selection of the best candidates.

The K.O. Mbadiwe University community is proud of Professor Opara’s achievements and extends its best wishes as she embarks on her new role.

By Eneojo Herbert Idakwo

Igala carnival 2021 will be the most successful cultural and tourism show to date, taking place at the Kogi state university stadium Complex Anyigba on the 21st of July 2021.

The Carnival shall showcase exhibitions that include the widest variety and depth of Igala cultural products and indices ready to pitch to a record number of external and local attendees, tourists and buyers.

By the middle of May, most of the arrangements for the great event have been concluded with both private and public sector participants, partners and sponsors. Indications to attend by both individuals and groups have far doubled what it was in the last 3 events and it shall yet showcase the “who is who” in Igala land and beyond. It is indeed the quality of the attendees that distinguish the Igala carnival from any other cultural events so far. The event has become Igala’s premier flagship cultural and tourism event and platform unrivalled as a business proposition for the local and global culture tourism buyer community. This is the biggest assemblage of Igala people young and old who come to Anyigba each year to do culture and tourism business.

Suffice to say, Igala Carnival has secured its position as Igala’s biggest and most important cultural tourism event largely due to its conscious and pro-active partnership with the cream of cultural products, cuisine, songs and dances in Igalaland and nationwide, making it the only distinct Igala culture and tourism global platform. “The Igala carnival is a showcase for the Igala Cultural tourism sector designed and engineered for the Igala national and global industry to extract the maximum value from our cultural heritage for global appeal. It uniquely offers tourists the best of our cultural indices; all under one platform, so it’s an unmissable opportunity for the global tourism buyer says CEO Hillary Amodu.

Every conceivable tourism and tourism related sector is represented. Accommodation, tour operators, transport, travel, media, traditional dance, music, drama, local dishes and delicacies, Cultural troupes e.t.c from big to small so tourists can have a free range of choices.

A significant value add for the event is the showcasing of variety of local dishes, delicacies, souvenirs and various art products including books and magazines                                  emphasizing the lgala culture value on sale.

The pay offs of this remarkable trade arising from the event is the creation of jobs.

The big picture of this all important event is that via thousands of tourism businesses, millions of jobs are created, and foreign direct spending is continually attracted to Igala land.

“the positive impact of tourism in Igala land will be widely felt. It spurs economic growth, job creation, and an even stronger middle class, more exposure for Igala land to grow, pan-lgala optimism and wider investment in many sectors including infrastructure, skills development and construction. It will also build a positive global image for lgala land, dispelling misconceived perceptions and promoting lgala land as what it is, warm welcoming, friendly, beautiful and infinitely varied scenery.  This is the great value that tourism business and Igala carnival brings to the lgala nation and economy.

Igala land is the nineth largest ethnic configuration in Nigeria but yet our growth trajectory does not depict this rank as development has been slow and far between.

Culture and tourism are key economic growth drivers for this much needed development. Anyigba which has become the Center and most popular destination for new hotel investment in Igala land because of its central location, shall play host to this event and hotel owners shall by this event smile to their banks.

Igala land remains an unrivalled tourism destination due to the platform of cultural indices arising from our very rich culture.

It therefore becomes very imperative that every pan Igala revivalist both at home and in diaspora to not only support the event, but attend and invite non Igalas to also attend in order to showcase our rich culture heritage to the world.