Imo launches new university, gets NUC nod

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has officially approved the establishment of Imo State’s University of Innovation, Science, and Technology. The operational licence was presented to Governor Hope Uzodimma in Abuja by the NUC’s Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu.

This new institution, located in Omuma, Oru East, becomes the 70th state-owned and the 301st university in Nigeria. It is the fourth university under the Imo State government, increasing the total number of universities in the state to eight.

Professor Ribadu praised the initiative as a “bold and strategic step” for youth empowerment and economic development.

He urged all stakeholders to collaborate in upholding high standards of academic integrity and governance.

The NUC will soon conduct a resources verification visit to assess the university’s infrastructure and staffing.

Emphasizing the need for a swift commencement of academic activities to meet the November admission deadline, Ribadu assured that the NUC would provide ongoing guidance.

He confirmed that relevant bodies like JAMB, TETFUND, and NYSC have been notified to integrate the new university.

Governor Uzodimma stated the university was created to meet the educational needs of the youth and equip them with digital skills in science and technology.

He revealed a key partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, through the Imo Digital City, designed to foster entrepreneurship and job creation.

“The goal is to produce graduates who are not just job seekers, but job creators,” Uzodimma said.

He acknowledged funding constraints but stressed the importance of prioritizing education to engage the youth positively and steer them away from social vices.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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