Strategic Leadership in Tertiary Education: ESUT Workshop Highlights
The Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, on Thursday, urged frontline staff of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) to leverage strategic leadership, research, innovation, and mentorship to stand out among other tertiary institutions.
In his lead paper presentation titled “Institutional Performance in Tertiary Education Through Strategic Planning,” he stated that academics cannot afford to remain stagnant in their research and leadership roles while addressing societal problems.
He emphasized the need to mine and analyze data for strategic planning and actions, stressing that for the university to achieve its mission and vision, academic and leadership efforts must be of the highest standard to promote scholarship.
“To attain evidence-based achievements, we need to track our daily activities and juxtapose them with the strategic goals of the University because success is not subjective but evidence-based,” he stated.
He added, “As a university of science and technology, the challenges we face in training our students are evolving and not stagnant. Therefore, we should strive to achieve impactful results in content, character, and knowledge so that our graduates are well-equipped to face society.”
He also stressed that ESUT, as a university of science and technology, must remain at the forefront of solving societal problems through impactful research and collaborations.
While discussing strategic leadership, Onyia noted that there must be a system to track, monitor, and evaluate the performance of frontline staff to ensure optimum service delivery.
Keynote Presentations and Discussions
In his keynote presentation titled “Ethical Leadership and Management of Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria,” Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, Vice Chancellor of ESUT, identified key characteristics of a good leader: honesty, the ability to delegate duties, creativity, and the ability to inspire others.
He described leadership as an art of motivating a group towards a common goal, noting that a leader must have a vision and the commitment to make it a reality. He also identified trustworthiness, fairness, responsibility, and caring as essential pillars of ethics in leadership.
While discussing “The Role of Soft Skills in Effective University Administration,” Obiora Madu, CEO of Multimix Academy, highlighted the importance of strong work ethics, a positive attitude, and good communication skills for effective university administration. He emphasized the need for university administrators to develop problem-solving skills and effective time management to ensure productivity.
During a plenary discussion on “Ethical Leadership,” Barrister Richard Agu stressed the importance of deliberate, intentional, and sustained efforts to effect a paradigm shift in the university system.
Some of the participants, including Professor Frank Iloeje and Professor Romanus Omeh, Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, praised the workshop as highly resourceful and well-organized.
They expressed that the workshop had refreshed their perspectives and lauded the University Management for organizing it. They committed to applying the new insights to their official duties with renewed vigor.
The two-day workshop, titled “Leadership and Strategic Planning in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria,” was organized for Deans, Associate Deans, Directors, Deputy Directors, Heads of Departments, Heads of Units, Deputy Registrars/Bursars/Librarians, PARs/Chief Accountants, and Faculty Officers. The Director of Academic Planning at ESUT, Professor Chike Anibeze, chaired the organizing committee.
