AD Scientific Index Ranking : Eight Months After Leaving Office, Akpagu's Legacies Still Attract Global Recognition To Unical

Prof. Zana Akpagu, immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar 

By Denis Inakefe Throughout his tenure which lasted between 2015-2020, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University Calabar, Unical, Prof. Zana Akpagu always talked and worked towards improving the national and global profile of the University. This was why he embarked on massive infrastructural development, curriculum expansion, encouraged and sponsored students to participate in global competitions, invested heavily in the digital feasibility of the University, research and technology, etc. Recalled that during his reign, as part of investments in research and development, about five Scientists who are Lecturers in the University were presented with patent certificates by the National Office For Technology Acquisition and Promotion for different inventions. Some of them are, Prof. Eme Effiom Osim and Dr. Sunday Agba Bisong who got joint certificate for inventing "Method of Aqueous Root Bark Extraction of Rauwolfia Vomiitoria and its Use Thereof". Dr. (Mrs.) Faith Praise also got patent right for inventing Multipurpose Voltage Solar Battery Charger. Also, so many Lecturers during his administration were supported to carryout breakthrough researches in science and technology and other fields. And eight months after leaving office, these efforts are still yielding results for the University in global stage. This was so as the the 2021 ranking released by AD Scientific Index, a leading global ranking body based in Turkey placed the University as the fifth best in Nigeria. The ranking body however placed University of Ibadan, (UI) , University of Nigeria, Nsuka, (UNN) , and the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) as the best three universities in Nigeria based on the quality of their scientific researches. UI ranked ranked 19th in Africa and 1,350 in the world, while UNN is 25th in the continent and 1,522 in the world. UNILORIN ranked 41st in Africa and 1,941 in the world. The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) occupied the fourth position while UNICAL came fifth university in Nigeria. Harvard University made the top spot on the global list, while the University of Cape Town, South Africa, was ranked the best University on the Africa continent. Explaining the criteria for the rating, AD Scientific Index stated clearly that all the factors considered were based on the quality of scientific researches, feasibility of the Universities, number of citations in Google Scholar among others in the last five years (2015-2020). This was the period when Prof. Akpagu was in office. The global body explained on their website, (https://www.adscientificindex.com/methodology/) that, "the ranking criteria based on the “total h-index” scores were used in the following order: Firstly, the “total h-index” scores; secondly, the total number of citations; and thirdly, the “total i10 index” scores (1. Total h-index scores, 2. Total number of citations, 3. Total i10 index scores)". The body added that, "ranking based on the last 5 years’ h-index scores was performed using criteria in the following order: 1. Last 5 years’ h-index scores, 2. Total number of citations in the last 5 years, 3. Last 5 years’ total i-10 index scores). The ranking criteria for the total i10 index were used in the following order: 1. Total i10 index scores, 2. Total h-index scores, and 3. Total number of citations. Ranking based on the last 5 years’ i10 index scores was performed using the criteria in the following order: 1. Last 5 years’ i10 index scores, 2. Last 5 years’ h-index scores, 3. Total number of citations in the last 5 years. Ranking based on the total number of citations was performed using the criteria in the following order: 1. Total number of citations, 2. Total h-index scores, 3. Total i10 index scores. Ranking based on the total number of citations in the last 5 years was performed using the criteria in the following order: 1: Total number of citations in the last 5 years, 2. Last 5 years’ h-index scores, 3: Last 5 years’ i10 index scores. The h-index, i10 index, and the last 5-year ratios/total ratios are major unique characteristics of the AD Scientific Index, showing both the development in the individual performance of the scientist and the reflections of the institutional policies of universities onto the overall scientific picture" It would also be recalled that during his tenure, the Students of the University won the World Best Oralist Competition held at the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) headquarters, Washington DC, United States of America. The University also fielded Students that represented the entire Africa continent at the International Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition were they emerged runners up. Similarly, in 2017, under his watch, the University won the Nigeria Technology Awards (NITA) "Best use of the Social Media Federal University" and "Best Federal University Website of the year" awards, all which gave impetus to the AD Scientific Index ranking. In other areas, Unical football team for the first time lifted the 2019 Nigeria Higher Institution Football League tournament trophy. Also, the University emerged emerged overrall best during the 2019 edition of the Nigerian Universities Theatre Festival. With Prof. Akpagu's legacies still giving the University global recognition, the current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi will undoubtedly build and improve on the past administration's achievements to continue to grow the institution's reputation both locally and internationally.