STUDENT AFFAIRS: BRIEF HISTORY
At its inception in May 10th 1999 and the arrival of its foundation students in Okada on 15th October, 1999, there were One Hundred and Eleven (111) students in the University. There was no full-fledged Students Affairs Division/unit. Rather, affairs related to students were under the purview of a Registry staff. It was not until the year 2002 that a full-fledged Students Affairs was created. Dr. P. O. Ogundigie, a teaching staff in the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, was appointed as the pioneer Acting Dean. He served until the year 2005.
Following the completion of his tenure, Professor G.O. Nwobu, of the department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, was appointed as the substantive Dean of Students Affairs. His tenure ended in 2007. Following his exit as Dean, Dr. P. O. Ogundigie was reappointed in an Acting position as the Dean – a position he held up until the year 2015. Later that same year, Mr. Kennedy Igbinedion was appointed as Head of Students Affairs from 2025 to December 2022. In January 2023, Dr. Chinedu Christian Odoemelam, an Associate Professor of Mass Communication, was appointed Acting Dean of Students Affairs. In summary, the Students Affairs Division has had one substantive Dean, Two Acting Deans and One Head of Unit in the past 25 years.
HISTORY AND ACHIEVEMENTS
The creation of the Students Affairs Division in 2002, and the appointment of a Dean in an acting capacity, signaled the beginning of the comprehensive performance of the duties of the Students Affairs Unit, which include the following:
Guidance and Counselling, Welfare of students in the Halls and campuses, mobilization of graduates for NYSC, ensuring adherence to regulations and the Student’ Code of Conduct and Registration of Students Associations, Clubs and Cultural Groups. Others include Students Government activities, Registration and supervision of students’ use of vehicles in the campus, etc. In the past 25 years, Students Affairs has been performing these roles adequately.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS AFFAIRS IN 25 YEARS
It is worth noting that the history and achievements of Students Affairs cannot be told in isolation from some notable and spectacular events that has marked its inception and existence in the past 25 years. These include the following:
Mobilization of IUO Graduates for National Service Youth Service (NYSC)
Igbinedion University graduated its first set of students in the year 2003. The burden of collating and entering the data for the mobilization of the graduates, for the compulsory National Youth Service, therefore fell on Students Affairs. Hence, under the leadership of the first Ag. Dean, Dr. O.P. Ogundigie, the first sets of IUO graduates were successfully mobilized for NYSC. Since that first mobilization in 2003 until date, Students Affairs has continued to perform the critical role of ensuring that IUO graduates participate in each of the batches of NYSC mobilization. From the humble beginning of mobilizing barely 100 graduates in 2003, Students Affairs now boasts of mobilizing over 500 graduates in each academic year.
Students Intellectual and Public Speaking Competitions
Another significant achievement of Students Affairs is its coordination of students to participate in national and international events, such as Quiz and Debating competitions. This has in turn created significantly increased visibility for the University. Some of these events include, Ghana 2016 where IUO students emerged Winner at the Impact Africa Debating Competition. In 2017 the IUO students where in Gaborone in the Republic of Bostwana, where they emerged winners at the Impact Africa Public Speaking and Debating fiesta. Nationally, too, various Inter-University Debate Competitions have seen IUO students emerging the Winners. In 2017, IUO students emerged winners at the Inter-Universities Parliamentary Debate Competition at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile Ife, Osun State. These events have induced pride and confidence in our students and as well has granted them the needed national and international exposure.
Furthermore, in 2023, a First Class student of Theatre Arts, in IUO, Miss Okolocha, who participated in a Netflix rated Drama Series, ‘Nana’, was highly commended by the Directors of the Drama series. The organizers wrote to the University to express this sentiment.
Students’ Government
Every academic session, beginning from the pioneering and groundbreaking 1999/2000 academic session, Student Affairs has continued to supervise the election of students’ Representatives and the Students’ Mayor (both arms constitute the Students’ Government body). Notably, this sessional exercises have never degenerated into violence nor misbehaviour on the part of the students body; rather students have used such opportunities to gain leadership and governance skills. Students Affairs ensures peaceful handover to next set of leaders each academic session.
Sports
Sport is a critical part of the wholesome development of Igbinedion University students. Of great significance in this regard, is that, in the year 2005, under the supervision of Students Affairs and with collaboration with the Sport Directorate, the University hosted the Maiden edition of the Nigerian Private Universities Games (NPUGA). This resulted in the accommodation of over 900 students from other private Universities in IUO’s hostel facilities. The professional handling of the accommodation challenges resulted in the success of the event. The students of IUO have continued to participate in each edition of the NPUGA fiesta.
Vice Chancellor’s Cup Competition
To give IUO students more opportunities to exhibit their sporting talents, Students Affairs, in conjunction with the Sports Unit, initiated the Vice Chancellor’s Cup, which is competed for by the students from all the Colleges in the University. The event holds in the first semester of the session and the students are successfully engaged at such times. The first edition held in the year 2002. Given the huge students’ support this event enjoys, successive Vice Chancellors have appreciated the events and have provided funding for it each academic year. The last edition was held in 2023 under the Vice Chancellorship of Professor Lawrence Ezemonye and Students Affairs Deanship of Dr. Chinedu Christian Odoemelam.
Inter Hall Sports
Part of the hostel management strategy of Students Affairs, is the institution of various sporting categories that are competed for based on students’ hall of residence. The Halls are: Serena, Amazon and Access hostels for females, while J block, Old boys and Private hostels are for males. This laudable event commenced in the year 2012 and has continued to be cherished by the students. During the events, hostels compete among themselves in sporting events such as sprint, volleyball, lawn tennis, basketball, football, chess, scrabble, table tennis, badminton and swimming. The beauty of this event is that each sporting event has male and female categories.
Entertainment (Beauty Pageantry)
To give students greater latitude for the expression of themselves and their talents, Students Affairs initiated the IUO Beauty contest. The first edition held in 2009, in which Ifeoma Ibe of the Department of Mass communication emerged the winner. The second edition held in 2012 and Anita Uhere, of the department of Chemistry won the first position. The third edition held in the year 2014, had Anita Ukah of the department of Medical Laboratory Science as the winner of the beauty pageantry. Some these students have gone ahead to have successive careers in the fashion and modelling industry. For instance, Miss Anita Ukah, won miss World Africa in 2018, and was given a warm reception by the Management of IUO led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Lawrence Ezemonye in the year 2019.
Managing of Students’ Use of Cars
From inception, students who are in their 200 level and above are allowed to bring in personal vehicles and drive same within the campus. Students Affairs has continued to supervise such usage by introducing creative and innovative measures for seamless driving by students within the campus. One such measures is the introduction of vehicle papers documentation and the stamping of stickers on students’ vehicles for easy identification and monitoring.
Cultural and Religious Diversities
This is one of the key areas of students-focused activities, which Student Affairs has managed successfully. Igbinedion University students come from diverse cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Success in managing these diversities is exemplified in the provision of platforms for each group to express its peculiarities. These strategies include documentation of each group, approving of meeting days, and approving of exhibition days. By this model, the students have come to appreciate the differences and peculiarities of other groups other than theirs.
Digitalization of Students’ Code of Conduct
To create greater exposure to the content of the students’ codes of conduct, Students Affairs digitized the contents in April 2023. Thus, the contents of the students’ code of conduct were integrated into a matrix display system that is mounted at the Student Affairs Hall. By this, when students come to students affairs building for various purposes, they have the opportunity to read the contents of the code in real-time. This has reinforced the increased awareness and knowledge of the provisions of the code of conduct.
Students’ Discipline
The maintenance of discipline in students’ conduct is integral to observing a seamless and unobstructed academic session. Students Affairs has continued to .maintain this through a carrot and stick model, where disciplinary actions are recommended against those who contravene the rules, while those who live exemplarily, are commended.
HALL OF FAME (INTENDED)
Students Affairs is in the process of proposing to Management to establish a Hall of Fame Museum, which will endow a facility in honour of all past Overall Best Graduating Students of IUO. The benefit of this initiative will be humongous. For instance and certainly, it will spur the Igbinedion University students to greater academic achievements.
Dr. Chinedu Christian Odoemelam
Ag. Dean, Students Affairs
