We will produce top-flight graduates relevant to society — Nzotta

Amadeus University, Amizi Oloko in Ikwuano LGA of Abia State, has welcomed its second intakes after its historic launch by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Austin Akobundu, Abia Central Senatorial District. In this interview, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Mbadike Nzotta, explains why Amadeus ranks high as a world-class institution. Excerpts:

By Adesina Wahab 

What is your background and vision for this university?

I am Professor Samuel Mbadike Nzotta, the Vice-Chancellor of Amadeus University in Amizi Oloko, Ikwuano LGA, Abia State.

Before I resumed at Amadeus University, I was at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) as a Professor of Finance, and was at different times a Director, Head of Department and Dean of Faculty.

We have keyed into the vision of the founder, Dr. Godwin Nwabunka. Essentially, we intend to have in place a university that is going to provide excellent teaching and learning facilities. We are going to be innovative and ensure that we impart skills to our graduates such that they are going to be job creators and not job seekers. We are going to make sure that they are independent minded and competitive globally. Our students are also being groomed in the art of critical and rational thinking necessary for their individual growth. That is our focus.

How would you describe the university in terms of facilities and others?

Yes, the high-quality facilities are evident, and I can say they are world class. They have assisted us in advertising what we have here and are comparable with any high-profile academic institution in the global space. It could not be less. The academic and supportive staff rank high together with the learning facilities needed to deliver high content and the impartation of knowledge. For example, in all our classrooms, we have smart boards. Smart boards facilitate efficient teaching. They make teaching and learning less laborious.

Here at Amadeus, we are advancing towards all aspects of e-learning; our facilities are e-learning- compliant. We have an e-library and all the facilities that ensure that our standards compare favourably with those of the traditionally recognised great institutions. As a private university, we have set the pace, and we are currently one of the best private universities in the South-East. Alternatively, we are setting the pace for an elevated, acceptable level of teaching and learning. Very soon, it will be evident that we shall be the most sought-after institution especially for laboratory experiments by these public universities. That is our focus, because the equipment is available. The quality of staff is equally something to talk about; it is part of our unique cutting edge.

Like I said, we had tested and experienced professors put in place starting from day one. We are not trying to manage our teaching corps or staff team. We brought in professors and professionals from various universities from the onset. We provided the incentives and tools to ensure that there is emphasis on excellence. We have the experience, the tools, and we are research-oriented. Our aim is to teach research-based knowledge. We are not going to be churning out stale knowledge. Our lecturers will research and teach research-based knowledge and findings; the aim is to search for something new that will be relevant to the learning curve and experiences of the students, for decision making at all times.

This is what makes the difference between a low and highly-rated University.

Here at Amadeus University, let me restate for the sake of emphasis and clarity, we have good and efficient lecturers, and we are going to ensure that there is a continuous staff development programme within and outside the country through conferences, seminars, and workshops. The emphasis is on an upgrade of staff skills, proper motivation and the provision of good environment for scholarship.

What would you say about the Chairman and Founder?

Yes, the Chairman and Founder is a visionary leader. The vision to establish a unique university is even something outstanding. He had a vision, and he translated this vision into reality. During our recent first matriculation ceremony, we reeled out all the things that have been done so far. You can have a vision, and you sleep over it. But he did not sleep over the vision. He pursued it, mobilising the materials and financial resources needed to ensure that the vision represents a dream come true. The climax could be seen from the accounts reeled out during the ceremony. It became apparent that his vision has come to a significant realisation or actualisation. We appreciate that.

I am one of the people he has assembled, and I can assure you that I share in his vision. The game plan is for this university to produce top-flight graduates that will be relevant to society. They can only achieve this by having the right skills, the right knowledge, the right orientation, and the discipline to function in our dynamic society.

Do you have any kind of collaborative partnerships locally and abroad?

Yes, we are working on some collaborations at various levels within and outside the country. The university is pursuing international collaborations, with concrete partnerships with other universities across the West African sub-region and in the United Kingdom. These partnerships will foster student and faculty exchanges, joint research, and broader access to global learning resources.

We are also trying to have a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) so that our Accounting programme is upgraded in such a way that our graduates will automatically qualify for the ICAN final examination. Apart from the above, we have a number of proposals ongoing for collaborations.       

That means in between courses, students can travel for these exchange programmes?

Yes, there will be student and staff exchanges between our university and the collaborating institutions. We are working on a collaboration of mutual interactions and benefit and that is our focus.

How robust are your scholarship programmes?

Access and equity are key pillars of the institution. Amadeus University reinforces this commitment through several robust scholarship programmes. The Dr. Godwin Nwabunka Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship offers full scholarships for tuition, service, and accommodation to students from low-income backgrounds, while the Grooming Centre Undergraduate Scholarship provides full scholarships for children of active Grooming Centre clients as well as tuition-only scholarships for children of staff members.

 Furthermore, the Grooming Endowment Trust (GET) Undergraduate Scholarship rewards academic excellence with full scholarships open to all Nigerian undergraduates, with applications closing on April 30, 2025.

On campus, innovation is a daily reality. From modern laboratories, Computer Based Technology (CBT) Center, and digital learning platforms to plans for a teaching hospital and farm settlement designed to support upcoming faculties in Medicine and Agriculture, every facility reflects the university’s commitment to addressing today’s challenges, whether they be in healthcare, agriculture, or technology. Our goal is to equip our students with the tools they need to thrive and lead in every sector of human endeavour.

How are students guided to meet the expected high standards you have set for them in the institution?

When the new students came in, we looked at our rules and regulations, and we conducted an orientation programme for them. Over a few weeks, we were able to inculcate in them the need to have a personal discipline that will help them to drive their academic growth. Here in Amadeus, we have outlawed various vices, like cultism and hooliganism. You know, all these things that trend in other public universities.

We have outlawed this deviant behaviours here. We have set up structures that will prevent these evil acts from taking a root here. Students must be committed to academics, which is the primary reason they are here. We provide opportunities for recreation, for them to have useful interactions, and then be able to develop themselves in a positive direction of body, mind, and intellect.

Right now, how many faculties do you have?

We have four faculties presently. There is the Faculty of Engineering, which offers two courses; we have the Faculty of Allied Health Services which offers four different courses. Then we have the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences with five programmes and the Faculty of Science and Computing with eight programmes. So those are the four faculties accommodating the 19 courses that we are currently running. The NUC’s prescribed CCMAS or the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards are adapted by these four faculties. We intend in the nearest future to commence the process of enlarging our degree courses or programmes such that new and innovative subjects would be added to the array of courses we have here. The idea is to ensure that we are unique in the courses we offer in our chosen departments.

In addition to your future expectations, do you intend to have a College of Medicine and a Faculty of Law?

Yes, we do. There has been emphasis here regarding the list of our future developmental intentions. In the next two years, we are going to put in our papers for the Faculty of Law and then the College of Medicine. The idea is that these are areas where there are a whole lot of developmental challenges and once the requirements are met within our set time frames and the demands from our stakeholders, we shall be ready to launch these faculties.

Do you have provision for such practical courses needed in certain specialised fields as marine engineering, welding, and plumbing?

In our Curriculum Development, emphasis is not on marine engineering, welding and plumbing. However, the programmes developed so far are unique in the sense that they are structured along the lines approved by the NUC in tandem with its curriculum development pattern. We are also going to ensure that skills acquisition is emphasised along the line of entrepreneurship. What we are saying is that if you are, for example, in public health, you do not need to be a job seeker. You can create jobs in that discipline. That is our selling point.

We will make sure that we develop the critical thinking in our graduates such that the Amadeus University product or graduate can within the context of his or her degree programme, develop jobs and be an employer of labour, a job creator rather than a job seeker carrying envelopes everywhere. We are practically oriented with a high level of entrepreneurial culture. Amadeus is offering all the opportunities a student needs for self-development and self-actualization so as to become useful to society once out of the confines of the classroom.

Do you have a presence in the Faculty of Arts?

No, we don’t have a Faculty of Arts. Possibly in the near future, we are going to have a Faculty of Arts but as earlier stated, law, medicine, and, to some extent, agriculture, will be the list of programmes we shall explore. We recognize that we are in an agrarian zone, and there are a lot of opportunities that will be open to students of agriculture, who are willing to venture in this direction.

We are looking at areas where the emphasis will be on the developmental challenges of the country. Our healthcare challenges in the country are enormous, just as our food crisis is also very glaring. Both challenges are here with us. The agriculture programmes will help us to look into those areas of immediate and future needs. Agriculture will be introduced after we have introduced law and medicine programmes.

Are there foundational model courses in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics in the engineering faculty right now?

In our Curriculum Development, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics are fundamental in our Engineering programmes. AI is also introduced in our Computing and Science programmes, including Management and Social Science programmes. 

In the area of standards and quality, where do you place your laboratories, other teaching, and educational materials?

In all the programmes we offer, our teaching and learning facilities and equipment are world class; they cannot be any less, considering we operate in an environment, where competition is keen and only the best and the brightest can survive. Here, our laboratories are fully equipped. They are both marvelous and a wonder in the 21st century knowledge industry. The laboratories house modern scientific equipment. We also have computer equipment to aid our teaching and learning in the various departments. For example, in the Social and Management sciences, there are computer laboratories installed to assist the students in comprehending the dynamics of their programmes. We also have laboratory technicians in place to ensure that all our programmes run according to the standards expected, both by the professional bodies and the National Universities Commission.

Do you have any plans in the future to set up primary and secondary schools?

Yes, it is an ongoing thing. We are currently partnering with a secondary school here in Amizi. The proprietor has helped to upgrade a secondary school in Amizi to a level where it can be one of our feeder institutions where students can advance from to this place. It is being managed by the Catholic Church, and we have an arrangement with the management of the Secondary School.

What about sports and recreational facilities?

Our sports facilities are built to meet international standards. We have indoor and outdoor sports facilities, lawn tennis, basketball and a football field has almost been completed. I am sure you have seen these facilities here. We have swimming pool facilities too, and there is a gym, which is open to students. We reason that sports and athletics would sharpen the mental and physical abilities of our students, while those with hidden and undeveloped skills in these areas will discover and sharpen such skills.

Do you intend to set up a Teaching Hospital as an adjunct or essential part of the College of Medicine?

Exactly, our current medical facilities are among the best a university can offer. Our Medical Centre is very well equipped. You will be amazed at what is going on there.

However, at the appropriate time, we envisage that we shall expand our medical facilities to a full state of the art Teaching Hospital to complement the future Amadeus University College of Medicine.

Any message to prospective students?

We just want to tell our prospective students and stakeholders that something amazing is happening here at Amadeus University. It is amazing in the sense that we shall be grooming graduates who would come out to be globally competitive and very knowledgeable to contend with the demands of economic development in Nigeria. That is our assurance.

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