By BRIGHT C. OKEREKE

Aware that University education, is a key pathway to dignified personality moulding and a responsive nation building; the Imo State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, on assumption of office in January 2020, embarked on a dogged and diligent reformation of the various sectors of the State’s economy with a view to leaving enduring legacies of healthy and productive economy including the education sector.

True to the amiable Governor Uzodimma’s dream, he transformed the defunct Eastern Palm University to Kingsley Ozumba (K.O.) Mbadiwe University through the enactment of the enabling Law by the House of Assembly and ensured its academic activities are brought to optimum performance level.

The Governor’s impeccable wisdom may have occasioned the renaming of the recovered and re-established University after a late prominent nationalist, politician, statesman and a Central Minister in the First Republic, Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe (1915–1990) who hails from Orlu, Imo State,

These excellent and progressive moves by the Imo State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma CON, to sanitize the educational institutions in the State including the State-own Universities, possibly threw-up an experienced and proficient scholar, Professor Ikechukwu Nosike Simplicius Dozie, as the first Vice Chancellor of K. O. Mbadiwe University, in May 2021 and his visionary and resourceful leadership has accomplished massive and tremendous achievements for the University.

The unprecedented transformations and developments both completed and ongoing at the K. O. Mbadiwe University (KOMU), in Ideato South LGA, Imo State, within the past three (3) years can certainly be traced to God, the Imo State Governor Hope Odidika Uzodimma and the proactive Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Ikechukwu Nosike Simplicius Dozie.

Very noticeably, K.O. Mbadiwe University is fast reshaping to a classical ‘Knowledge Power Centre’ with the introduction of novel and ideal innovations that are reforming its education structure and standards to meeting the world class standards.

The top Management of KOMU has instituted an appropriate architecture for university education that creates an appropriate and navigable roadmap to facilitate genuine, academically credible, and enduring improvements in the quality of its education.

The dogged efforts of Prof. I.N.S. Dozie and his Management team have sponsored the progressive development of successful strategies dealing with the teething issues concerning academic and educational excellence, funding, support facilities’ sustainability, academic staff qualifications, and graduates’ competencies.

To improve the quality of any academic institution; commitment and expertise knowledge of the leadership is priority. It is on this premise that the University Management is vigorously pursuing its 11-point Strategic Goals of Action (SGA) that is summarized in achieving the fundamental mission of K.O. Mbadiwe University encapsulated in research, teaching and community service.

Other impressive feats also recorded within the three (3) years under review, by the administration of Prof. Ikechukwu N.S Dozie as the Vice Chancellor include: –
● Sustenance of stable academic calendar that makes timely graduation, processing and release of results, transcripts and degree certificates upon graduation, timely mobilization of graduates for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme as well as deployment of innovative technologies in teaching and learning.

● Securing successful FULL ACCREDITATION Status for seventeen (17) mature programmes of the University from the National Universities Commission (NUC).

● Securing National Universities Commission (NUC) Resource Assessment Approval for eight (8) new programmes that have already commenced with the 2024/2025 academic session:- They are LL.B Law, MBBS Medicine & Surgery, B.NSc. Nursing Science, B.MLS Medical Laboratory Science and B.Sc. in Public Health; Cyber Security; Environmental Sciences; Information Technology.

● Graduation of three (3) Sets of students and subsequent mobilization for National Youth Service Corps with a set already passed out of the service year. And production of academic transcript for graduated students’ further studies or other purposes.

● Introduction and commencement of K.O. Mbadiwe University Public Lecture Series in October 2023, with the 6th of KOMU Lecture Series held in December 18, 2024.
● Procurement of four (4) nos. fairly used vehicles for the Principal Officers of the University.
● Procurement of Tractor (FramTrack) for use on Agro-enviromental services.
● Establishment of a Liason Office at Owerri, production of University Annual Reports, Policy Documents and University quarterly NEWS Magazine (KOMU NEWS Digest).
● Establishment of a World-class ICT Academy in KOMU in partnership with TD Africa and HUAWEI Technologies, in a bid to achieve the university’s mission of producing students with cutting-edge technology education needed for the fast changing global society.
● Restored public confidence in the young university with increased enrollment in the 2024/2025 academic year.

Stemming on the afore-listed achievements, academic successes thus far recorded and in recognition of the strengths and potentials of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dozie and his working team at K.O Mbadiwe University Ideato, are strongly pushing towards a world-class status with cutting-edge technology.

Conscious of the fact that our present day society is very ripe for another paramount shift in our understanding of the university as the key to our continuously varying world, Professor Ikechukwu N. S. Dozie is initiating many other classic innovations and initiatives that are gradually growing KOMU to the status of a modern research university, flexible enough to accommodate learning across disciplines that harmonizes education with the developmental needs of our society.

Uniquely, K.O. Mbadiwe University, is trending with facilities that have made visual classroom and online lectures an integral part of its new education policy such that students can take lectures from anywhere via smart phones and laptops.

The university management has further developed active partnerships with some first-class universities around the globe to enhance the University’s educational standing.

K.O. Mbadiwe University offers undergraduate courses covering various faculties including Arts, Sciences, Social and Management Sciences, Computer and Information Technology, Law, Architecture, Medicine & Surgery, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Environmental Health Science, Cyber Security, and Health Sciences.

Kingsley Ozumba (K.O.) Mbadiwe University Ideato, may be conducting its first convocation ceremony, this year (2025), with its graduation policy of “Graduating Students Convoking with Original Degree Certificates”, if the University Visitor, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma CON, the Executive Governor of Imo State, gives his consent.

Most interestingly, the University’s relationship with the host communities is most cordial and peaceful. The architectural and infrastructural development of the University are superb and as such promotes a healthy, safe and aesthetic environment, conducive to a productive and eventful academic activities. We cannot gain say the fact that K.O. Mbadiwe University is changing the narratives and offering young people a unique opportunity to achieve quality education and mentorship for the sake of nation building.

Bright C. OKEREKE, is the SA Media, to KOMU VC