After much debacle and what an observer described as “administrative mind games,” the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has at last chosen Professor Bernard Odoh, a renowned geoscientist, as its new and substantive Vice-Chancellor.

Odoh, a geoscience expert from the Federal University Gusau, is expected to bring to Awka a blend of academic excellence and administrative prowess that promises to chart a new course of excellence for UNIZIK.

A graduate of UNIZIK, Odoh began his academic career in 2006 as an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Geology and Exploration Geophysics, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.

He later joined Nnamdi Azikiwe University as a Lecturer I in the Department of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Physical Sciences, in 2009. In 2012, he became a Senior Lecturer and was promoted to Reader in 2019.

His steady rise on the administrative and academic ladder continued in 2014 when he was appointed Visiting Professor of Geological Sciences at the Federal University Gusau. In 2015, he was assessed and appointed as a substantive Professor of Geological Sciences at the same university.

In his most recent role at the Federal University Gusau, Professor Odoh distinguished himself not only as a faculty member but as a pioneering force, serving as the inaugural Head of the Department of Geological Sciences. Under his leadership, the department established itself as a centre for geological studies, demonstrating his ability to build and nurture academic programs from the ground up.

With over 120 research publications in reputable international journals, e-books, and monographs to his credit, Odoh has also served as a Board Member of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Confucius Institute and as a member of the university’s Admission and Examination Monitoring Committee.

He also served as the Director of the Center for Water Resources Capacity Building Network for the Southeast Zone at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, from August 16, 2010, to October 2014, and as the Coordinator of the UNIZIK Seismic Observatory Station from June 29, 2010, to October 2014.

As a delegate at the Higher Education Administration seminar for Anglophone African Countries, held in three major provinces of China between October 19 and November 7, 2013, and sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Odoh made significant contributions to the forum.

He was also a member of the NWRI-UNESCO stakeholders committee for the development of an M.Sc. curriculum in Integrated Water Resources Management for Nigerian universities. In addition, he is affiliated with various professional bodies, including the Society of Exploration Geophysics, Oklahoma, USA; the American Association of Petroleum Geologists; the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers; the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists; and the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society.

Currently, he serves as the Lead Research Consultant to the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), 2024.

It would be recalled that the new Vice Chancellor mentored and led the NAU team to 1st place among 26 African universities and represented the African Region in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Imperial Barrel Award (AAPG IBA) Finals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, from May 17 to 19, 2013, where they secured 5th place on the global stage.