Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, has inaugurated the 8th Governing Council of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), charging members to focus on academic excellence, innovation, and research.
The inauguration took place on Thursday at the Light House in Awka, where the governor officially presented the new council led by Chairman and Pro-Chancellor, Peter A. Onwualu.
Soludo said the university must go beyond carrying the name of the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and become a centre of excellence that delivers quality education, innovation, and globally recognised research.
The governor also acknowledged the external members of the council, including Chris Oranu Chidume, O. J. Ogbuagu, Christopher Ndubuisi, and Chris Ezike, for accepting responsibility for serving on the institution’s governing body.
According to him, the council should work closely with the university’s Vice-Chancellor to improve standards and position the institution among leading centres of learning and research. He said the administration’s vision is to ensure the university aligns with global best practices while supporting Anambra State’s Development goals.
Soludo expressed confidence in the new council’s ability to deliver on its mandate, noting that the leadership team had already shown a commitment to advancing the institution.
He added that building a strong and competitive university remains an important part of his government’s plan to create a prosperous and livable Anambra State. The governor said COOU’s success is vital to the state’s long-term growth and Development agenda.
The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University COOU holds deep historic relevance as Anambra State’s pioneer state-owned university. The university broke a glass ceiling by providing localized access to higher education. It also broke the federal monopoly on tertiary schooling in the region.
Renaming the University in 2014 permanently honors the legendary Biafran leader, cementing it as an institutional monument to Igbo identity and resilience. The university named after Ojukwu is the closest thing to the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, being called the University of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War.
