Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof Uchenna Ortuanya has said that no fewer than 7201 students of the school have benefitted from the federal government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) in the past three years, even as he lamented southeast’s poor attitude towards the initiative.

Ortuanya, who lauded the initiative as providing access to Nigerians for higher education, however, frowned that available records showed that southeast remained the lowest in accessing the programme.

“The entire southeast put together has not been able to equal one state from the North in accessing NELFUND since inception. I want to use this opportunity to appeal to students of the UNN to key into this laudable objective of the federal government to enable their education”, Ortuanya stated.

Addressing Journalists in Enugu as part of the 55th Convocation ceremony of the University on Wednesday, he stated that about 12,895 graduands would be conferred with various degrees.

He said that a total of 10,641 students would receive first class degrees, and 2,944 higher degrees, comprising 1390 doctorates, 1,340 Master’s degree and 214 Postgraduate Diplomas.

Ortuanya added that wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and three others, would be conferred with honorary doctorate degrees for their “visionary leadership, distinguished service and ensuring commitment to human development”.

He stated that Enugu Governor Peter Mbah would provide the convocation lecture on the topic; ” Restoring the Dignity of Man: Enugu’s Quantum Leap in Human Development and Inclusive Prosperity through Experiential Learning”.

He also took an excursion into his eleven months administration, stating that he inherited ageing infrastructure, facilities stretched beyond original design, pressing welfare concerns among others.

He disclosed that so far, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria had increased the admission quota of the school from 180 to 400 students as well as Dentistry from 15 to 60 students.

He added that as part of the expansion academic efforts, the Mass Communication department of the school had been unbundled into five specialised degree programme by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Ortuanya disclosed that reconstruction of major roads and pathways within the two campuses of the school in Enugu and Nsukka, as well as the rehabilitation of the hostels to restore residential spaces for deserving students.

He particularly pointed at the long abandoned 100 room Ziks flat in Nsukka as being reconstructed, saying that idea was to ensure conducive atmosphere for the students to learn.

He added that within the period, 1,984 deserving members of staff across various cadres had received promotions, including scholars who attained the rank of Professor.

Ortuanya said that the University has improved in ranking and was now number two in the country and ranked fourth in Africa.

He said that he had expanded the international engagements with institutions in Sweden and Taiwan, China, South Africa and United States for exchange and research programmes with a view to repositioning the Universities.