First, let us officially meet and know you.
I am Prof Mrs. Stella Chinye Chiemeke, the Rector of Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku; a Professor of Computer Science and a Lecturer in the University of Benin. I am here on appointment as the Rector of Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku for five (5) years. I have been here three years now and fourth year running. I graduated from University of Lagos. I read Computer Science in my B.Sc and proceeded for my Masters Degree in the University of Lagos in Computer Science and then my Ph.D in the Federal University of Technology Akure in Ondo State. That is where I had my Ph.D. After the Doctorate degree, I started working with the University of Benin as a Lecturer, though, after my first degree, I started my career officially with Ambrose Ali University as a Programmer. I served there as a Corp member and being the best serving Corp member that year and being the only Computer Science graduate I was retained. So, I started my career officially from Ambrose Ali University as a Programmer; got to the position of the Head of the Unit. While I was there I initiated a lot of ICT automations for the institution and I started teaching General Introduction to Computer Science for the whole school; because then, the National Universities Commission (NUC) brought out a Curriculum that every student in all schools must have ICT knowledge. So, I was the first that started it in Ambrose Ali University. Later I left Ambrose Ali University to University of Benin as an Assistant Lecturer and rose from Assistant Lecturer to being a Professor in 2009 in the University of Benin. I am the first female Professor of Computer Science in the University of Benin. And as a Professor in UNIBEN, I have been Head of Department for Computer Science; being Assistant Dean for the Faculty and Director CRP-ICT Unit in that same University. From there I moved on to be the Director of Intellectual Property Unit. And it was from there I got the appointment to become the Rector, Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku which I have been since 2017.
What has been the problem of ICT in Nigeria and Africa by extension?
In Africa in particular, the problem we have with ICT is the cost of infrastructure. Let us talk about the internet facilities for example; those who have access to internet are those who are able to pay for the access. Those in Lagos are cheaper because Lagos is very close to the sea where the internet rebound comes in – but in the institution we are moving on gradually we would say. Since inception, roundabout the whole country we have over 30 Professors against what it was before. A lot of people have really grown to become professors in the field today and intellectually we are competing but the infrastructure is where the challenges are. But with the little that we have, schools have been able to cope and brought out lots of innovations as regards ICT.
As a Rector, how have you been able to launch ICT in the Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku?
In Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, when I came on board, I introduced ICT into all activities. For example: we have a Portal where the students do their registration and we also use ICT to examine our OND and HND students. Our Bursary processes are also computerized. Currently, we are testing paperless automation in the entire Institution to reduce use of papers. So, everything has been driven by ICT. We have also been able to partner with Google. Google has come twice to lecture our students on Digital Marketing. Majority of what they do in Entrepreneurship and in their classes are driven by ICT. So, I should say that so far so good, all our lecturers are ICT compliant because the examination is through ICT infrastructure and our results are seamless now. We get our results and transcripts seamlessly and everything is running perfectly well with the automation in place.
Before the lockdown, we concluded our first semester examination. There is a calendar that everyone is following, though, we were to resume for us to kick-start the second semester. And recently the state government deployed Delta State Learning Management System which is already on ground; the lecturers have been trained on how to use it and so every one of them now have been mandated to go and turn their lecture notes into Power Point so that they can populate the Learning Management System (LMS) and the students can download wherever they are. For the projects they are using zoom; the lecturers are using zoom to interact with their students who are presently engaged in their projects works. So, by the time they come all we need to do is to brush them in their lectures and at the end of the day we do exams. Though with this lockdown there is lot of engagements with our students. We have been able to communicate the result of their first semester to them and the lecturers have been allocated students and they are interacting with their students through zoom. But the LMS is just recently deployed and lecturers trained and we are working towards it that once all their lecture notes are uploaded into that LMS then we can go ahead with the teaching.
Have you launched or about to launch skill acquisition into your school?
One of the criteria from NBTE is that every institution must have an entrepreneurship center. So in this center, apart from their usual curriculum, students must learn one or two skills. It is mandatory. They must learn one or two skills before leaving the school. When students come for National Diploma (ND); as ND I, they learn a skill. In ND II they learn another skill and you will continue with it till the advance stage. When you come for the HND, the same thing; Students go through skill acquisition as well. So, everything is blended, that is, all our lectures are blended with skill acquisition because the requirement is that 60% should be theory work while 40% are practicals including skill acquisition.
Infrastructurally, what have you done for the school?
Infrastructurally, I will first of all appreciate our Executive Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, who has done a lot in improving some of the infrastructure that we have. Also, TETFUND intermittently have been assisting in equipping the school and through our own IGR we have been able to equip all the offices with their working tools.
How would Polytechnic Administrators ensure that members and students transform into world class leaders?
To be a leader that is notable you must be driven by solution-providing. You must be seen to be providing solution. And for you to be able to do that, that means, first, you must be able to state your objectives, the problems you intend to solve and how you intend to achieve the set goal, the end you are measured by your performance in terms of solutions you were able to provide. So, my own view of leadership is somebody who is passionate about what you are doing, motivating others and leading by example.
What is the opportunity of your Polytechnic to compete on global stage?
Like I said in the webometrics ranking, there is the visibility of the Institution online. And so, from time to time we have been getting feedbacks from those who are able to view our website online. In terms of our students I would say so far the quality of the products that we are having now is far better than what I met on ground. A lot of our students have been appointed here and there. Recently in the last convocation the Governor appointed one of our students as Special Assistant to the Government and then we have about two of them that are representing the entire Nigeria in sports. The school has been trying and our products are out there doing well.
What is your relationship between your school and Alumni?
We have a good relationship with the Alumni of this Institution though not online yet and there is interaction between the management and the Alumni. Alumni on their own have also tried to assist in uplifting the infrastructure in the school. The ICT unit is also compiling a platform for all the past graduates so that they can also from time to time interact with the system and be able to see where they can assist when the time comes or the need arises.
How do you want your rector-ship to be viewed in the next five years?
In the next five years I want my Rector-ship to be viewed as a leader that have come and impacted in the system positively and a Rector that brought hope to the system for positive change. So, during my tenure I would say lots of things were done to attract funding and bring in people. I would say my Rector-ship should be viewed as a Rector that brought ICT into the system, innovations and the e-Learning platform which of course is the recent way to go in the education system.
Let me digress a little, you are o mother and as an Administrator, you have a busy schedules. How do you manage your family and your busy schedules?
(….laughs) We bless God for that. By the grace of God I would say God has really blessed me. All my children have graduated, they are all working and three of them are married and fully settled. The last baby is also working. She is with the NBL (Nigeria Breweries Limited). I have a lot of time interacting with them, giving them the knowledge that is required from time to time as a mother. I will not just say only my biological children are my children, all the people around me here are also my children. And from time to time I tried to interact with them, encourage them and teach them on what it is about life.
How cordial is your relationship with the management and students?
The relationship with management and students is very cordial and I want to also thank God that since I came, there have been relative peace in the system and we do not have any court case. Like when I came there were lots of cases in court and we ensured that we settled some of these issues out of court. So far so good we thank God for the peace.
How were you able to manage the students, knowing who they are?
Well, as a mother, the first thing is to always give listening ear to these children. And when you listen you also feel their pain and you know how to manage them. The important thing is to always ensure that there is effective communication between management and the students. It is only when there is a communication gap that you start having problems. And anytime they want to see you let the door be open to them. Once they see that you are giving them attention they would always go in the direction you want them to go.
You have less than two years to go, where do you want to position this Polytechnic in the remaining two years of your administration?
We are believing God that in the next two years we should be able to have lots of infrastructure on ground and see if we can introduce two more schools. In other words, expanding the infrastructure on ground and Colleges that are on ground. In the area of the staff, it is to continue to encourage them in terms of capacity building so that they can improve themselves and we can have a better teaching environment, better lecturers on ground and students will also have all they need to be able to graduate at the appropriate time.
What is the relationship between this school and the host community?
Ogwashi-Uku community takes this Institution as their baby and so that relationship between the school and the community has been so cordial that they are always interested. There is nothing we do in the school we don’t invite them. And if they have any problem they call us, we are always there. The only thing is that we try as much as possible not to be involved in local politics but to be focused on knowledge based solutions to the local community. But so far so good there have been relative peace. Majority of our students are staying in the hostels in the town and so they are part of the building of the institution.
You are the second female Professor of Computer Science in Nigeria. At what age were you a Professor?
(….laughs) I was 42 when I became a Professor and I thank God for that.
Tell us your regrets.
Oh! What I have in mind is to be able to move this Institution to be able to compete with other institutions globally. So far the webometrics is one of the places where we are able to know our ranking in terms of visibility and activities in the Institution. And so when I came on board, the Institution was not in the webometrics ranking platform. And I was able to bring the Institution into the platform. And when we started we were 203 in the ranking. That was in December last year. This year February when the ranking came we were down eight (8) among the whole Polytechnics in Nigeria and 109 in the whole Higher institutions including the Universities and Polytechnics in Nigeria. The regret is that we want to do a lot but the infrastructures are not there. Some of the equipment we need are very expensive and with the little resources that one has, one cannot be able to do that. So many things you intend to do but because of limitations in terms of fund and equipment we are not able to do that. However, the little resources we have we are able to at least bring out quality in terms of our teaching and learning. With our students out there we have been able to get feedback from some of the industries as to the performance of our students. Last year, our student won a prize as the best in Hospitality and Management and also when the Federal Government scholarship came out, out of the 29 that were given to Delta, 27 came from this Institution. That’s the giant strides so far.
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