Global Educational Advancement : UNICAL To Partner UN

Prof. Zana Akpagu, Unical VC 

The United Nations (UN) and the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have expressed readiness to partner on the advancement and promotion of academic excellence to ensure global educational advancement.

This was made known when two UN agencies, United Nations Information Centre, Nigeria and the United Nations Population Fund paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Zana Akpagu in his office.

The National Information Officer of the UN Information Centre, Dr  Oluseyi Soremekun who led the UN team on the visit said they were in UNICAL to explore potential synergies with the institution including but not limited to educational advancement, Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He disclosed that no university in the South- South region of the country has keyed into the lofty initiatives of the UN on education, adding that the choice of UNICAL was borne out of personal interest.

Soremekun who described UNICAL as a foremost tertiary institution in the country said the UN is seeking to establish a robust relationship with the institution to strengthen its global outlook in the area of education.

The UN information Officer urged the institution to key into what he described ‘’ academic impact’’ of the UN currently operational in nine varsities in the country.

He said the ‘academic impact programme’ will contribute in no small measure in deepening research, exchange of ideas, which would in turn lead to educational advancement.

Soremekun said the UN was also looking at collaborating with the institution to organize what he called model UN conference in 2018, stressing that they intend to train UNICAL students on the practical aspects of their courses.

The UN information officer added, ‘’ The UN information centre are responsible for promoting greater public understanding of and support for the aims and activities of the United Nations by disseminating information on the work of the organization to people everywhere, especially in developing country.

‘’ The choice of this institution is because it is very dear to us and we wish to establish contact with the institution and explore areas of cooperation especially on education which I believe would be of mutual benefits to both parties’’

Responding, the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Zana Akpagu welcomed the UN team and thanked them for choosing the institution, adding that he was particularly looking forward to forging areas of partnership with the UN which he believed would be of utmost benefits to the institution.

Prof. Akpagu who said UNICAL is ready to key into the programmes of the UN added that students of the institution stand to benefit from the exchange of knowledge.

The Vice Chancellor said the institution is interested in expanding its frontiers by encouraging beneficial exchange of ideas in the field of education, adding that a desk officer will be appointed to liaise with the UN team in order to sustain the partnership.