Prof. Edoba Omoregie of the Faculty of Law, on Monday assumed office as the 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
In his inaugural speech, Omoregie, who is a professor of private property law, pledged to revolutionise the university.
The new vice chancellor, who took over from Prof. Lilian Salami, vowed to create an environment where all students, faculty, and staff would be valued and supported in their academic and career pursuits.
“I shall provide you with all the necessary support to make this a reality,” he declared, sending a strong signal that his administration would prioritise the welfare of students and staff.
Omoregie acknowledged the challenges facing the Nigerian public university system, including dwindling public funding and frequent disruptions through strikes.
He, however, expressed optimism that innovative funding, prioritising access to public university education, infrastructural development, and improved staff welfare, would help rejuvenate the system.
He commended the Federal Government’s efforts to provide access to university education through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Tetfund for its support on infrastructures. He, however, appealed to Tetfund to continue its support for the university.
As an alumnus of the university, Omoregie pledged to mobilise the alumni body to play a vanguard role in advancing the institution. He praised his predecessor for her excellent service to the university and congratulated her on her successful tenure.
Earlier, Salami, who was the second female vice-chancellor of the university, said she was able to deliver on those nine point agenda set when she assumed office in 2019.
She said she was able to significantly improve infrastructure facilities in the institution despite the challenges posed by paucity of funds, the outbreak of COVID-19 and the incessant industrial actions.
She said that when she assumed office, the ratio of non-teaching staff to teaching staff was abysmally low.
“We were able to train and deploy non-academics to fill the gaps. Better could have been achieved if the Federal Government lifts the embargo on employment,” she said.
The immediate past vice-chancellor asserted that she was able to improve the ranking of the university, applauding the central government as well as the Edo government for their support. She urged the university community to extend more support to her successor for him to succeed.