By Chukwudi Ejimofor, P/H
Globally best practice, team work and commitment to goal is the secret behind the landmark academic standards achieved by the University of Port Harcourt Business School in less than ten years of its inception.
Speaking during the first induction and graduation ceremony of the Business School on Saturday 23th November, at the School’s ultra modern site along Abacha Road in Port Harcourt, the Vice Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Professor Ndowa E.S Lale who was the special guest at the event said with huge academic standard achieved by the School, what it now needed is expansion to accommodate more courses and students.
“And what we need to that is on course, which is upgrade of facilities, increased auditorium for lectures, put on more broad creative courses, improve quality of Teachers which we have already done and doing, and all these are already on course.”
Professor Lale opined further that with the inherent evidences, the University of Port Harcourt Business School is competing favourably with the Lagos Business School when compared to the period it has been in existence.
“Lagos Business started long ago, and now with the trend from University of Port Harcourt Business School, they have already known that we are the competitors they have.”
Earlier the Director of University of Port Harcourt Business School, Professor Okay Onuchuku said that the number of graduating students in the current session are 89 in different disciplines, maintained that the school’s academic manpowers are sourced within the academia and Business industry for an all encompassing knowledge to be achieved.
“In this session we graduated 89 students in different programmes. University of Port Harcourt Business School don’t localize our manpowers here, we got our manpowers from University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State University, Universities outside the state, and from the Business industry, because some of what we do here are practical Business studies, we hire from the industry to make sure our students get the best. We are doing pretty well here and the sky is our limit.”
The Professor Economics expressed further that for effective, efficient and balanced programme for their students, the institution developed a module that has attracted students from all part of the country with affordable and friendly fees, that has posed challenge to existing Business Schools in the country.
The Director posed with some of the graduating students, Odo Ikechukwu and Ikechi Olumati at the event.
University of Port Harcourt Business has developed a module that will challenge Lagos Business School. We favourably competing with them, because students are coming from Lagos and Abuja. They have studied our Corricollum, and saw that we are doing something that are really good here. For the full MBA fees here you pay N2,000,000.00, but you don’t pay it at a time. We run 4 modules in the coursework. In each module, student can pay gradually. In each of the modules we pay our Lecturers, we make sure that”. He affirmed
The Director expressed the feelings that with the performances and rapid growth of the institution, they are going to have influx of fresh students, noting that the management is aware of that, and contingency plans are in place for that.
The graduating students Ikechukwu Odo and Ikechi Olumati talking with the Press
“This is the famous Business School in the South South Nigeria. With expectations, we hope there are going to be a lot of intakes in the institution, We are working to make sure we increase the classroom space so that our students will not run into problem of classroom space here. We are projecting that for a building at the open space for expansion. We are also sourcing for partners to come partner with us in building that structure that serve as multipurpose for business also.” Professor Onuchuku concluded.
At the sideline of the event, one of the graduating students on Health Care management, Odo Ikechukwu a Medical Doctor, the Medical Director of a renowned Private Hospital in Port Harcourt, Meridian Hospitals, and the President of Nigeria Private Doctors’ Association, stressed the immense knowledge the institution has impacted him, in managing human beings and material as private sector practitioner.
”Am a Medical Doctor in the private sector, I manage human beings and materials, my training at the University of Port Harcourt Business School has developed my capacity of managing human being and materials in my Hospital.
Before LG there were Panasonic, Sunny, JVC. And When LG came people were sceptical about it, but today LG is taken over. Long ago it was Lagos Business School, anybody that didn’t go there is nowhere, but today I can attest to you that University of Port Harcourt Business School has taking over. There is a new down.” Dr Odo stated.
Ikechi Olumati, Senior Manager with Nigeria Ports Authority, concur with his fellow graduate, stating that “the academic standard here is very they have sound and quality Lectures, I encourage students to come here and develop themselves academically”
The chairman of the event was Professor. Barisua Fortune Nwinne, Dean Faculty of Management Sciences University of Port Harcourt.
The event attracted dignitaries from the academia, Business industries and friends relations of the graduating students.
