Odita Sunday 
By Uche Chukwu,
Onitsha 3,315 undergraduates and postgraduate students are listed for the 15th edition of Convocation of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University in Anambra State billed for Saturday April 25, 2026. Of this number, about 800 are post-graduate graduands. Briefing newsmen on the 5-day Convocation ceremony which kicked off Wednesday, April 22, this year with a Founder’s Day and Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Lecture by the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Gautier Mignot, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kate Omenugha noted that the Convocation Lecture by the Polish Ambassador in Nigeria, His Excellency Michael Cygan, with the theme, “Building Innovative Minds and Bridges for Scared Property.”. She observed that the lecture is aimed to remember the legacies of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu after whom the institution was named. Omenugha further said the Students Day/Interdenominational Service will hold at the at Igbariam Campus,Oyi Local Government Council Area of the State on April 23, 2026. Omenugha said that the innovative Students Day is student-centric and was crafted to afford students the opportunity to acquire more knowledge, share ideas and listen to informed opinions on how they can match forward. The Vice Chancellor of COOU explained that the significant of the Convocation is to award certificates of fulfilled academic.attainment preparatory to their finding job opportunities for their lives and secured future. She contended that she has broken the glass ceiling with her emergence as the 5th and first female Vice Chancellor with the God-factor guiding principle. According to her, Omenugha expressed sadness that students aren’t properly counselled on courses they should embrace, noting exposing, “some students still don’t know the courses that give them set skills, self employment and exported goods and services for a secured future.” Omenugha expressed hope that the institution with no fewer than 200 Professors can turn around he institution, and move it further from being an analogous institution to digi-technology institution. In this respect, she hinted that the institution has embarked on training unskilled staff members to become Information and Communication Technology-savvy. Omenugha disclosed that the institution is envisioned to be ” a university of excellence in research, teaching and on earning that serves humanity through multi-skilled and socially-responsible citizens. In addition , she observed that COOU has the mission to “produce graduates that are skilled, functionally creative and worthy in character who are equipped to make significant and sustainable contribution to the overall of development of the society.” The Vice Chancellor lamented that COOU still have poorly-subscribed courses during admission in Crop Science, Mathematics, Soil Science, Educational Physics, Social Studies and Fishery and Aquaculture. Comparatively, she revealed that more intakes are recorded in such courses as Nursing, Medicine and Surgery, Computer Science, Business Administration, Mass Communication, Bio-chemistry, Medical Laboratory and Law, among others. The Vice Chancellor revealed that the introduction of 3Vs – Value, Viability and Visibility that produce ethically oriented-students, produce quality control, synergy between students and university-based centre, industry and government-based partnership and collaboration. According to her, COUU already has the 2020 – 2030 Strategic Plan which addition to the master plan creates roadmap on the transformation of COOU becoming the Number 10 Public University in Nigeria at the end of her tenure. She pointed out that the institution hopes to consolidate on its drive fur ranking, stressing that, by 2027, COOU will be on the ranking assessment for the first time.
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