PROF. ASOMWAN SONNIE ADAGBONYIN is the acting Vice Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma. He has introduced a number of reforms that will raise the status of the university to be among the highly rated schools in Nigeria, Africa and the world. In this interview with TELIAT SULE, he listed some of the initiatives he introduced and how they have changed the face of the school for the better. Excerpts:
Could you please introduce yourself to the reading public?
I am Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin, the Acting Vice Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. I am a Professor of English with over 36 years put in the service of the Nigerian university system. I specialise in Stylistics, the branch of applied linguistics which studies the interface between linguistic form and literary function. I have served in virtually every capacity in the University – as Head of Department, Sub-Dean, Academic Director, Dean, and member of the University’s Governing Council as a representative of the Senate. I am a writer, a rhetorician, a public affairs analyst and a freelance journalist.
How did you become the VC of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma?
I became the Acting VC by appointment. The Governor got me and my colleagues who are now in Management to work with the Special Intervention Team (SIT) in the task of bringing reforms to the University. It was at a time when morale was quite low in the University and there was so much work to be done to restore confidence. It is not El Dorado yet, but we can say we have achieved so much in so little time to be quite upbeat that surely, AAU is poised for greatness. I am grateful to His Excellency, Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, for finding me worthy to be appointed.
How has your experience been as the VC of AAU?
Challenging, but exciting is how I will describe it. AAU has its own baggage of issues, like every other Nigerian university, but so far, we have been rising above the challenges and making impactful contributions.
What new programmes have you initiated or implemented and in what areas?
It has not really been about initiating new programmes, but consolidating existing ones and firming carrying capacity. As you know, AAU has come a long way as a University and we can proudly say that it hosts solid academic programmes even as it produces great men and women and world-class leaders. From the harvest of our programmes, AAU mobilised the highest number of youth corps members in any Nigerian University in the 2021/2022 academic session and received commendation from the NYSC for that. With a present population of more than 34,000 students and hundreds of teaching and non-teaching staff, there has been, for me and the SIT, a prioritization of re-orientation of values in the University, an irrevocable commitment to breaking new grounds and firming new roots of progress to justify existence. The University has been able to adopt a fiscal policy that abhors waste and blocks financial drains, all these geared towards meeting our set goals and our obligations. We are fighting on many fronts, but God is helping us.
COVID-19 changed many things across the globe, especially as it emphasised the importance of virtual learning. How is IT utilised at AAU to enhance learning?
I can say AAU is synonymous with IT, and this is not because of the several awards we have received as the best state university in Nigeria in the use of IT, but because we see the technological super highway as the only route to meaningful progress for any 21st century University. Today, IT has made the world a smarter place, and our University is no different. Our delve into the use of IT has helped us to leverage many possibilities and virtually everyone in the University, from the young bubbling students to the old vibrant staff, knows that you can hardly do much now without IT. We have a 40,000 capacity Learning Management System (LMS) which enables us to teach our students virtually (we are building it stronger), our Senate is paperless; our elections in the University are conducted electronically (we are the first state University in Nigeria to kick-start this); all 100 level and 200 level exams are computer-based. Administratively, we are automating our registry and bursary and we hold most meetings virtually where physical meetings are not possible. Our results are automated and we are firming our gains in the implementation of a 48-hour processing time for transcripts and certificates. Conscious of the challenges we have faced in the latter, we have recently activated the digitisation of students’ academic records and transcripts from the inception of the University to the 2014/2015 academic session. All other transcripts post-dating that session have digital backups and can be assessed without stress.
Many universities in the country have in some way increased school fees in order to be able to provide quality education to students. What is the situation like in AAU?
We made a few adjustments here and there on our fees, particularly the ones for the returning students. As you already implied, this arose from our desire to face present economic realities and challenges and to guarantee quality education for our students. We did not increase tuition for returning students, but we made some adjustments to the compulsory fees, which we call “add-ons”. There were some reactions at some point, but after due consultations and round-table talks, we have been able to resolve the issues that cropped up from the adjustments. Today, AAU is peaceful and the students have pledged their commitment to working with the University Management to deliver on the vision and mission of the founding fathers of the University.
Considering that the cost of living has gone up, with many households pressured, what are you doing differently in your school to help parents and guardians of your students?
The University is aware of the burden parents and guardians bear in meeting the educational needs of their children and wards. Incidentally, many of the staff in the University have their children schooling there as well, so they are the first responders to these insights. What the University has been doing is to cushion the pains of school fees payment by permitting instalment payments. In other words, students are allowed to pay their school fees in two instalments. New students can be given matriculation numbers even with the payment of half their fees. I believe we are among the very few universities in the country that do that. We are looking forward to doing more.
What is the ranking of AAU in Nigeria, Africa, and the world? What innovative measures or programmes have you introduced or about to introduce to enhance the ranking of your university?
In the last Webometric ranking of World Universities, Ambrose Alli moved from 40th in 2022 to 37th in 2023 out of 283 Nigerian Universities. This administration came on board in February 2022. Before then, AAU was not ranked among the best 100 universities in Nigeria. Some of the activities that have helped in boosting the ranking include:
i. The Automation of final year Result processing. This significantly reduces human inputs.
ii. The use of a Learning Management System (LMS) for the online delivery of academic content
iii. The robust student and alumni portal. All financial transactions for the payment of tuition, sundry fees, and other dues are now online. Course registration is now online. Application and processing of transcripts and certificates, as noted earlier, are now online. Hopefully, the ranking will improve with the recent automation of many administrative processes in Bursary and Registry and the digitisation of all academic records in the university.
On average, how many research works do lecturers at AAU publish annually to enhance its rating and how do you want to increase this?
Presently, the university does not have any mechanism to monitor the research outputs of academic staff, except during the annual appraisal exercises. However, depending on their academic status, each academic staff is expected to publish between 1 and 3 research articles annually, to be promoted to the next academic rank. Very soon, the university will come out with a set of reward systems that will recognise high-quality publications, such as those published in high-impact factor journals. These reward systems include letters of commendation, attractive cash prizes, and accelerated promotions.
How strong is your alumni association and how does the body support the growth of their alma mater?
Ambrose Alli University has a strong Alumni Association with chapters and branches across Nigeria and in many European and American countries. These branches are coordinated by a Global Executive Council. The Alumni Association has been in partnership with the University administration for a long time. This partnership has resulted in significant infrastructural development, regular donations of computers and ICT-related hardware, as well as important library books, and awards of scholarships to indigent and bright students. There have been numerous other areas where the Alumni Association has intervened.
Where would you like to see AAU in the next five years?
In the next 5 years, I would like to see AAU ranked among the best 10 Universities in Nigeria and among the best 50 in Africa.
