By Gabriel Chy Alonta
As part of efforts to put the Unizik Business School (UBS) on the world map, the authorities of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state, have named eminent and renowned Nigerians as UBS board of directors.
Those who made the list include: Dr. ABS Orjiakor, Chairman, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, who is also the board’s co-chairman, Prof. Pat Utomi, Founder/CEO, Centre for Value in Leadership, Dr. Cosmos Maduka CON, Chairman, Coscharis Group Ltd, Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, Chairman/CEO, Stanel Group. and Dr. Ifeanyi C. Odii, President/CEO Ultimus Holdings.
Others are Chief Ikenna Okafor (Ide Akwaeze), MD/CEO, Keves Global Leasing Ltd, Dr. Okey Anueyiagu, Founder, Dr. Okey Anueyiagu Foundation, Dr. Chidi Anyaegbu, CEO, Chisco Group Ltd, Dr. Clement Nwogbo, CEO, M-P Infrastructure Ltd and Dr. Poly Emenike MON, Chairman/CEO, Neros Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Inaugurating the board of directors via Zoom on Saturday, the Pro-chancellor and chairman, Unizik 9th Governing Council, Prof. Sulyman Kuranga, said the gesture would move the school to another level, and appreciated members of the board for graciously accepting.
According to him, the board is the policy-making organ that sets out broad guidelines that drive the institutional functions of the school to improve its fortunes.
The pro-chancellor urged the members to discharge their duties with integrity, credibility and consistency to bring out the best, which, he said, would prepare UBS for competitiveness in the global marketplace. He assured BoD of the council’s support.
“I am convinced that you will recoup high returns on the investments you make today as BoD members of UBS. “You will become our corporate public image such that at the mention of UBS, it connotes quality for the entire university just like Harvard.
“Ensure the school is managed to generate revenue for the university but should not be at the expense of its integrity. The BoD must make sure that only those who went through required academic and practical trainings are evaluated in the best global practice are recommended for the award of relevant qualifications and certificates.
“It is by doing the above that the school will enhance the viability, visibility and prestige of the University at national and global arena. And one of the surest and easiest ways of catalysing the fame of this University is to run this business school with integrity, dignity and professionalism for it to attract students and collaborations from across the nation and the international community”, Kuranga advised.
Also speaking, the university vice-chancellor, Prof. Charles Esimone, while highlighting the programmes in the school, said UBS does not only equip business leaders but also mobilize such latent business leaders into kinetic action towards activating their potentials.
Esimone said, “We are doing this in a realisation that only those businesses that can fit into the current trend of global business best practices can thrive in a competitive environment such as ours, particularly in the emerging economies to which our country belongs.
“That is why we appeal to you (BoD) to engage us as consultants to your organisations, introduce UBS by way of marketing it to your high net-worth clients and friends whose businesses we can help to improve”.
While soliciting support of the board of directors to give UBS a face lift, the vice-chancellor added, “The UBS library is small owing to space constraints, the e-library suffers similar fate and is unable to accommodate students that want to use it, more so when the broadband is poor and as such does not meet current need.
“At present, the current building housing UBS, no long accommodates its ever-growing number of students; besides that, the building is aging and weathering is taking its toll on it through wind and
rain storm; the result is leaking roof which now adversely affects operations.
“Part of our game changer initiative is to construct a new edifice that reflects who we are and to help in fast tracking the process of affiliation to other Business Schools in Europe and elsewhere. It is our intention that the building will have a 5000-capacity auditorium, a 50-100 or more capacity guest house.
He also disclosed that UBS would soon commence accreditation process with Association of African Business Schools (AABS), and enjoined board members to support the over $10,000USD, which, he said, the exercise would cost.
The board members, had, inresponses, took turns to express their unalloyed acceptance and willingness to serve the UBS to bring it to limelight. They assured that they would make both individual and collective contributions to see that the envisaged goals of the school are achieved.
In a vote of thanks, the UBS director, Prof. Emma Okoye, expressed appreciation to the board for accepting to be members and assured that the institution and school would give them expected cooperation.
Also present at the inauguration were Prof. Frederick Odibo, deputy vice-chancellor (Academic), Prof. Philomena Igbokwe, Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Chinedu Onyeizugbe, deputy director, UBS and Prof. Chike Okoye, university orator, among others.
The presentation of the proposed business school complex by Arch. Austin Ezezue, the MD/CEO of Frank Power Consultants Ltd, formed the high point of the inauguration exercise. This paper reports that the proposed UBS edifice is estimated at around N3.16 billion.
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