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Speaking at a ceremony to mark the end of her two year tenure as Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof Joy Ezeilo told guests including Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Charles Arinze Igwe that her administration completed over 60 projects within the two years she served as dean, stressing that the strides had helped to elevate the faculty to international standards.
She listed the projects as rehabilitation of lecture halls,fully equipped 510-seater ultra-modern lecture theatre funded by the alumni class of 1990, administrative building, Moot court, upgrading and furnishing of board room, re-roofing, provision of seats, equipping the library, provision of computers and internet facilities among others.
The don said that apart from physical infrastructures, she had initiated major reforms that would transform the institution to a centre of excellence in law studies.
She said the faculty was now partnering with Michigan State University, USA in staff members and students’ exchange programmes, among other academic collaborations, adding that two students of the faculty recently travelled on scholarship for the summer school programme on International Law, Arbitration, Negotiation, Contracts and Competitive Law at Michigan.
“We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dundee University that will grant our staff members who are interested in pursuing post-graduate degrees with the institution 50 per cent discount on tuition fee.
“Importantly, the PhD programme does not require students’ residency, as they will remain on their jobs at UNN, while visiting the United Kingdom (UK) at agreed flexible intervals.
“We have also entered an MoU with the University of Venda, South Africa and we hope it will be operationalised soon for the mutual benefit of both institutions in the areas of research, teaching and visitor’s scholars programme,” she stated.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Prof Charles Igwe, said it was gratifying that all the projects were initiated and completed by Ezeilo within her 18 months and with externally generated funds.
Igwe described the outgoing dean as a pacesetter whom he said had taken the faculty from zero levels to an enviable height and was now a reference point to other leaders.
‘It is amazing that Ezeilo did all these projects without demanding funds from the institution. I encourage other deans and heads of departments to take a tour of the law faculty and understudy the development strides of Ezeilo,’ Igwe said.
She said that the faculty recorded the successes through the assistance of its former students.
Ezeilo said that she was motivated to embark on the projects and reforms by the desire to motivate students and lectures to learn and work in the best environment possible.
