“Rewire: Rooted in Africa, Impacting the World,” the theme of the Wigwe University Education Fair held on Saturday, January 20th, 2024, echoes the university’s commitment to not only celebrate its African roots but also make a global impact.
This theme permeated every aspect of the event, which hosted some of the leading educators and entrepreneurs in the academic, technology, banking, and creative arts sectors. As the sound of the Ikwerre drums filled the air, young, eager, and aspiring university students, their chaperones, parents, as well as various participants converged at the Horlikins Event Center in Port Harcourt.
The program featured the first public rendition of the university anthem “We the Fearless” by the Lighthill Choir, a warm welcome address from the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Miles Davis, and an insightful keynote address by Dr. Obari Gomba, winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literature 2023. The latter emphasized the importance of a combination of brilliant minds and ethical/moral conduct as catalysts for social change.
Leaning into the motto of the University, “We the Fearless,” he pointed that universities throughout the ages have been catalysts for social change, and individuals leading social change in other spheres have been those who pushed through their fears to lead others to growth and development.
A discussion session with panelists, including Madam Ekama Akpan, CEO of Showers Group, Olumide Soyombo, Co-Founder of Bluechip Technologies Limited, Elfrida Omole, ED of Bere-Mont Group, Donald Okudu, Creative Director of Mesh, and the renowned filmmaker, teacher, and trainer, Sam Dede, provided more insight into the aims, objectives, hopes, and aspirations of the university.
In an insightful and passionate address to the fair attendees, the Chancellor of the University, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, applauded the Nigerian educational sector for training brilliant and strong minds, citing himself as a beneficiary.
He noted that Nigeria’s universities have, over time, declined due to inadequate attention paid to key aspects of their development and emphasized the need for courage and fearlessness in addressing Nigeria’s academic challenges as opposed to running away from them. Addressing the prevalent brain drain in Nigeria, the Chancellor emphasized Wigwe University’s resolve to tackle challenges within the education system.
He added that leveraging state-of-the-art technology, innovation, and leapfrogging, the university will propel itself to the forefront of global education, offering an alternative that rivals international standards. “This is to the end that the prevalent “Japa” movement might lose its allure as Wigwe University strives to become a beacon for those seeking world-class education on home soil.”
The University management expressed the institution’s commitment to inclusivity and global collaboration also came to the fore as the university announced that it will open its doors to both national and international students who are eligible and comply with the regulations of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
They said following the Federal Government’s approval of the Transnational Education Guidelines, the university also indicated that it would pursue any international collaborations that would benefit its students and staff and adapt fittingly to Nigeria’s needs and contexts.
“The Wigwe University establishes itself as a player on the global educational stage, a university fearlessly pioneering and charting a course for positive change in the Nigerian University System in particular and global education at large.”
