By Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Wife of the Anambra State Governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, has been conferred with a Doctor of Science (DSc) degree (Honoris Causa) by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Anambra State, during its 11th to 15th convocation ceremony held at the Igbariam campus on Saturday, May 24.
Also honoured alongside the Governor’s wife were Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Southeast, Lady Ada Chukwudozie, renowned entrepreneur, Chief Emma Bishop Okonkwo, Traditional Ruler of Ogidi community, Igwe Alex Onyido, philanthropist, Chief Christopher Ndubuisi, and communications expert, Mr. Chidozie Mbanefo.
The university management, while conferring the award on Mrs. Soludo, said she was being honoured for her contributions to public health and nutrition through the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative.
“She champions the improvement of life expectancy through sustainable lifestyles, public health awareness and organic nutrition. Her pet project has received global recognition from the likes of WHO, UNICEF, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and Rotary International etc.,” the citation stated.
“Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo initiative has influenced the lifestyle of citizens of Nigeria and beyond. What is leadership if you cannot influence? COOU has drawn inspiration from Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo initiative and can hold her head high that Dr. Nonye Soludo has imparted on the university to set up the farm – ‘Healthy Living Garden’ in her honour. Today, COOU is a proud initiator of various vegetables and crops that add value not just to teaching and learning but also as a way of financial sustainability.
“Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo pet project falls into the category of a change maker that has shaped the lives of so many in the society. It is not just a pet project like other First Ladies’ pet projects that fizzle away when they leave office, rather the initiative has permeated the nooks and crannies of the communities as people can now identify and resonate with it not just as a way of life but a way to be alive,” her resume stated.
Speaking on the conferment, Governor Chukwuma Soludo described the honour as well-deserved, noting that all the recipients had excelled in their respective fields.
Soludo expressed gratitude for their contributions to the growth of the university and the advancement of academia as a whole.
He called on other well-meaning individuals who see education as the foundation of the future to invest in the university and help elevate its status.
“Government alone cannot drive the kind of development we envision for our university and state. I encourage well-meaning Nigerians to support and invest in education,” he said.
The Governor also emphasised the need to honour the legacy of the university’s founder, late Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, by finding a meaningful way to immortalise him.
He praised the university management for developing a 25-year strategic roadmap to guide the institution’s future.
Soludo also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritising the education sector, emphasising that without education, there can be no future.
Earlier, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kate Omenugha, announced that 58 students were awarded first-class degrees across various disciplines in the undergraduate programme.
She also revealed that 1,677 graduands received postgraduate degrees in different fields.
“The breakdown of the undergraduate programme is as follows: 58 first-class graduates, 3,369 second-class upper, 7,771 second-class lower, 2,860 third-class, and 31 with pass degrees.
“For the postgraduate programme, there are 818 PhD recipients, 1,150 master’s degree holders, and 817 postgraduate diploma awardees.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the graduands and encourage them to uphold the university’s values and represent us with pride,” she said.
Omenugha also pledged that the university would continue to deliver globally competitive education and strive to elevate its national and international rankings into the top 10.
In a remark, Mrs. Soludo expressed joy over the conferment, adding, “This conferment is a call to do more.”
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the management of the university for accepting me and fellow honorees into the academic community,” she said.