NDDC Doffs Cap For Hensard University

 

By Admin

The Niger Delta Development Commission( NDDC)  commended Hensard University for its broad vision of raising entrepreneurs through its academic programmes that are based  on practical skills, theoretical grounding, international exposure and linkages and ethical leadership maintaining  entrepreneurship was one of the areas it would like to partner with Hensard University.

 Ogaga Akakabota, a Manager in the Commission’s Directorate of Education, Health and Social Services, made these remarks  on Friday when led an NDDC team to Hensard University, the first private university on an assessment tour of the progress of work on both the temporary and permanent sites of the university.

 Speaking  to journalists at  the premises of the university,  he said that the NDDC team was impressed  with  the university’s management well-thought out policies and educational facilities adding that Hensard  University had the facilities to raise a generation of youths that would be independent, productive and self- sufficient.

Akakabota said  "We are here to carry out an evaluation, monitoring and assessment  Hensard University's readiness. We got a proposal for scholarships,  capacity building and  grants so, we felt it will be good   for us to come  and see things for ourselves. What the school has done, its mission, vision and what it seeks to achieve in terms of educational development in the Niger Delta.

"After a tour of the take-off facility, the labs, farms and other structures, our assessment, is that the facilities at Hensard  University are highly commendable. We  have  also seen that there is a broad vision, not just about people going to school to get a certificate. 

"We have seen that the school is poised towards raising entrepreneurs. This will impact very well on its graduates. A shift from graduates being job-seekers to entrepreneurs and employers of labour will be important at this time of high unemployment".

He said Hensard's vision and mission make it the type of institution the leadership of the NDDC would like to partner with to achieve the Commission's mandate.

 Conducting the team round the campus,  the Registrar   of the university, Mrs. Evelyn Umukoro disclosed that  Hensard offers great benefits that will  make it an excellent choice for students.

She said that  the university's dual certification policy allows students to earn two degrees - one from Hensard University and another from partner institutions adding that "this enhances their qualifications and expands their opportunities.

She continued " Our students will also benefit from industry mentorship, practical entrepreneurship training, access to startup funds through the Students' Contributory Cooperative Scheme and cutting-edge research at the university's centres of excellence, that are to be managed with reputable organisations.

The Hensard experience, she said, would be delivered in the university's smart lecture halls and through practicals in facilities like the fish ponds, poultry and the Film School disclosing that "Hensard is currently accepting applications for undergraduate and foundation school programmes.

 Students interested in pursuing their academic interests and career aspirations she said  are encouraged to explore the university's wide range of programmes across five faculties namely Arts, Social Sciences  and  Management, Science and Computing, Agricultural Science, Communication and Media Studies, and Environmental Sciences.

Top Hensard University officials in tour included the Bursar Mr. Peter Onigah, Dr. Eucharia Igbafe, Director of Hensard University Foundation School and Dr. Clement Agiangie, Managing Director, Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation.

Recall that a foundation School has been established in the university to  cater for the needs of some students who may not meet the minimum admission requirements set by the National Universities Commission, NUC. 

The foundation School offers pre-degree programmes tailored towards prepare students for success in JUPEB, A-levels, O-levels, and JAMB examinations. 

Completing the foundation school provides an alternative pathway for direct admission to Hensard University.