Ede Ndidiamaka
The people of Nsukka in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, may believe it was their sustained protest that led to the emergence of Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya as the 16th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
But perhaps it was simply a matter of time; when the fruit is ripe, it falls. For over a year, UNN drifted in uneasy uncertainty after the expiration of Prof. Charles Igwe’s tenure in June 2024.
The institution remained without a substantive vice-chancellor, a period marked by tension, speculation, internal lobbying, and pressure from both within and outside the university.
From June 2024 to July 2025, the university was led by a succession of acting vice-chancellors: Prof. Romanus Ezeokonkwo and Prof. Polycarp Emeka Chigbu, who held the position until February 2025. Then came Prof. Oguejiofo T. Ujam, who openly challenged the setbacks at the institution. He introduced internal reforms, revived public confidence, and repositioned himself as one willing to listen.
As the selection of a substantive VC approached, agitation from the host community intensified. Many from the Nsukka Zone demanded that, since the founding of the UNN in 1960, a substantive vice-chancellor has not come from the area.
The sentiment, although carrying historical weight that could not be overlooked, the university leadership chaired by Engr. Kayode Ojo insisted the process was purely merit-based, guided by national benchmarks and international standards.
It issued repeated statements against fake news concerning the appointment, urging calm among the public. This came as rumours began to circulate that Mr Ortuanya had been appointed before any official announcement was made.
One might ask, what is the determinant of a transparent VC selection? The reactions of the people after every process are always evidence. Although the prolonged delay deepened anxiety within the UNN community, the university was calm and joyful after Mr. Ortuanya was declared the new VC.
He was selected from a pool of 28 candidates, and his confirmation ended a 14-month tense wait that popularized the terms ‘acting’.
Ortuanya, the Man for the Moment
The new VC, a professor of law, combines deep academic grounding with years of public service. He served as Secretary to the Enugu State Government, was a former Commissioner for Education, and held the position of Associate Dean at the University of Nigeria’s Enugu Campus.
He has also taught at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology and was a visiting scholar at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Interestingly and surprisingly, with his appointment, the university produced for the first time in 64 years, an indigene of the Nsukka Zone as VC. This symbolic milestone has stirred pride across the region and rekindled trust within the university community.
But the task ahead is enormous. Former acting vice-chancellor, Prof. Oguejiofo Ujam, stated that “UNN is no longer leading in primary academia,” a blunt assessment of the university’s waning reputation. Although he tried, many believe Mr. Ortuanya is well-equipped for the challenge.
His legal expertise and governance experience show he is not just a manager, but a leader who has led from the onset.
The Task Ahead: Healing, Rebuilding, and Repositioning
Prof. Ortuanya takes over at a difficult moment for the institution, but the situation is what will challenge him to take the bull by the horns. As an Igbo adage puts it, “Mberede ka eji ama dike”, meaning that it is in moments of urgency that true strength is revealed.
Years of decaying infrastructure, unstable calendars, and poor staff welfare have damaged UNN’s reputation. This is despite the massive work that Prof Ujam put up in just six months. The expectations are steep. Students with special needs, who have long endured unsafe hostels and poor access, are watching. The conditions at the hostels have forced many into hardships.
Across the university, abandoned buildings, including the yet-to-be-completed Mass Communication building, stand as a reminder of the task ahead. For a discipline that links every field, that building deserves urgent attention.
For a world turning digital, students should be able to write their exams without the university library’s computers frustrating them and be able to check their results online; everything should not be on paper. How about jam-packed classrooms, where lecturers and students suffocate to learn?
If the university must produce quality graduates, it must first match admissions with teaching capacity, one that involves theory and practice to solve the world’s challenges. Prof. Ortuanya must prioritise student welfare and ensure that serious students are truly mentored, not just passed through a broken system.
Lecturers, too, are overstretched as they face crushing workloads in departments bloated by excessive admissions. Those students and staff violating school rules and regulations must also be fished out
Though Prof Ortuanya brings international exposure, having studied abroad and served as a visiting scholar at Loyola University Chicago, students and staff expect more than titles; they are hoping for a university built on international standards.
A Defining Era Begins
In his first remarks, the new VC called for a “new spirit of collective effort,” urging staff and students to set aside differences and focus on shared values: learning, character, and service.
While his appointment sparked debate, it also offers a chance to reconnect UNN with its founding ideals, restoring academic distinction, public trust, institutional pride, and dignity.
The controversies cannot be erased, but they must not derail the task ahead. Healing requires honesty, rebuilding needs discipline, and repositioning must rest on service, not politics.
It is indeed a defining era for UNN: a time for unity, clarity of purpose, and renewed faith in the possibility of greatness.
