GREGORY UNIVERSITY UTURU: MOVING FROM STRENGHT TO STRENGTH
Gregory University Uturu(GUU) is a foremost private university located at Amokwe, Uturu, Abia State. It is owned by Prof Gregory Iyke Ibe, PhD, OFR (Enyi Abia) who doubles as the Chancellor. GUU is a great citadel of learning where nothing is spared to bequeath the lasting legacy of qualitative and quantitative education to scholars by using a well-articulated curriculum that enables the conduct of 18 weeks concentrated academic work per semester. Graduates from the university are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities that make them stand out in the global world of work. The university has a very robust entrepreneurship programme with each scholar obtaining a diploma in any area of his/her choice from the vast array of enterprises by the time of graduation. The four, five or six years programmes of the university is sacrosanct with no extension due to strikes. The university boasts of the best equipped libraries, laboratories, e-learning centres, practical studios and a world-class teaching hospital all with first rate opportunities for undergraduate research, internship and leadership opportunities that power scholars to the front of the line. Classroom lectures are delivered through e-learning technologies. There is no room for victimization of scholars by lecturers as examination scripts are marked via conference arrangement and no lecturer is permitted to go home with any script, hence there are no cases of missing examination scripts, no sale of handouts and “sorting”.
More importantly, all the courses of the university have been accredited including Medicine and Surgery as well as Nursing Science. Many students have had to change to GUU from their own universities that have not had their courses accredited. Little wonder the university was awarded the “Best Private University in Nigeria 2019”.
Gregory University Uturu, from her inception in 2012 showed that they were prepared to change the narrative in the educational system of Nigeria.The institution which started with twenty-six programmes in three colleges of, Natural and Applied Sciences, Social and Management Sciences and Humanities, now have ten colleges with over fifty programs in eight years. No wonder the Executive Secretary, of National Universities Commission, NUC, Professor Abubakar Rashers, after assessing the level of progress in the institution, described it as one of the fastest growing private university in Nigeria, considering that it has not been quite long the university was licensed, but has taken giant strides in the area of infrastructure, human capital development and innovations.
Again, Gregory University Uturu was among eleven universities recently given approval to offer Pharm D. In a letter signed by Dr N. B. Saliu, Director, Academic Planning, National Universities Commission, NUC, which reads in part: “The philosophy behind the establishment of Pharm D programme in Nigeria universities is to provide students with a broad knowledge to further equip them with the ability to apply pharmaceutical knowledge in health care delivery system; acquire professional skills to identify and resolve drug related problems and to impact to the students a comprehensive knowledge of Pathophysiology, Therapeutic, Pharmacokinetic and Toxicology among several other aims and objectives”.
Only 11 out of the 192 Federal, State and Private Universities got the approval to run a six year course and award Pharm D in Nigeria.
Gregory University Uturu, is the only private university in Nigeria that was among the already established universities that was given the approval. This, feat positions Gregory University as an emerging power-house in field of health, with Medicine and Surgery already accredited in addition to Nursing Science that is also accredited.
To buttress the fact that the university is an all-rounder, it bidded, won the right, and successfully hosted the Nigeria Universities Theater Art Festival(NUTAF) in 2021, making it the first private University to host the 40 year old event. They were also the first private university to host and win the NUTASA (Nigerian Universities Theatre Art Students Association) since it’s existence 34 years ago, and the first to produce a Female National President of the association.
In the Engineering angle, Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria has confirmed full accreditation of Computer, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering for Gregory University Uturu. Before now accredition for Mechanical,Civil,Electrical and Electronics had been secured.
Indeed, private university education in Nigeria has never had it so good, courtesy of Gregory University Uturu….the best among equals!
Chijioke Igwe,
Director of Works,
Gregory University Uturu.