By Tunde Uchegbuo
Across the world, universities are rethinking how they prepare students for life beyond the classroom. At Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, this conversation has taken centre stage under the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr. Chinyere Igwe, who is advocating closer ties between academic training and industry as a pathway to industry-ready graduates and lasting institutional relevance.
According to Dr. Igwe, in a country where thousands of graduates enter the labour market to compete for few opportunities, the question of relevance has never been more urgent. Hence, universities that fail to interface with industry risk producing unemployable graduates in the face of emerging global labour markets.
The Pro-Chancellor’s vision is rooted in his conviction that when curricula reflect industry realities, universities not only raise the competencies of their graduates but also strengthen innovation, research output, and impact on society.
Speaking during a series of engagements with staff unions and professional bodies, the Pro-Chancellor was explicit that his appointment was not a coincidence, but a conscious intervention aimed at repositioning the university and boosting its academic integrity.
Addressing the leadership of the institution’s staff unions, Dr. Igwe warned against practices capable of undermining the credibility of IAUE’s programmes, and pledged to leave behind a legacy defined by strengthened standards, accountability, and relevance.
Leaders of the unions in their responses, applauded the Pro-Chancellor’s open-door approach. They commended the university management led by the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, on staff promotions and capacity development initiatives, as they tabled long-standing concerns. These include the absence of a substantive vice-chancellor, outstanding salary arrears, non-implementation of approved increments, unpaid staff of the demonstration secondary school and seashell model primary school, wage adjustment errors, and the need for more infrastructure.
Beyond internal stakeholders, Dr. Igwe’s industry-first vision gained further traction during a courtesy visit by the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners’ Association of Nigeria (PETROAN). Led by its National President, Dr. Billy Harry, and Rivers State Chairman, Sir Francis Dimkpa, the association proposed a partnership with IAUE to professionalise petroleum products marketing.
PETROAN urged the university to develop certificate-level courses in petroleum retail marketing, pledging to adopt and promote such programmes nationwide. According to the association, structured academic training would help standardise practices in the downstream petroleum sector, enhance energy security and contribute meaningfully to national development.
The association expressed confidence in Dr. Igwe’s leadership, noting his unique position as both an academic administrator and a registered PETROAN member with active petroleum retail operations. They described his appointment as timely, especially against the backdrop of concerns over declining academic standards nationwide.
A similar call for collaboration came from the Nigerian Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN). During a visit to the university, the institute’s National President, Dr. Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, identified a persistent gap between classroom instruction and industry practice.
She proposed internships, structured mentorship and student-focused conferences as tools for integrating IAUE students into professional marketing practice.Dr. Igwe welcomed the initiative, assuring NIMN of the university’s readiness to deepen existing mentorship structures.
He also urged the institute to consider Port Harcourt as host of its next national conference; a move he said would further expose students to industry leaders and contemporary practice.
Next was a congratulatory visit by the Rivers State chapter of the Advertising Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria (APAPHC). During the engagement, Dr. Igwe described advertising as the “nucleus of business and organisational visibility,” crediting the profession with providing the foundation for over 70 of his scholarly publications.
He appealed to advertising professionals to help correct misconceptions about IAUE and partner with the university to boost its visibility and impact.
Leader of the body in Rivers State, Dr Bekwele Dike, praised the Pro-Chancellor’s administrative and entrepreneurial acumen, adding that such capacities would boost the fortunes of the university.
Meanwhile, the zonal head of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Mr. Lawrence Edijala, expressed optimism that IAUE’s advertising programme would soon secure the association’s accreditation.
Across engagements with the institution’s workers unions and professional bodies, Dr. Igwe’s message remained consistent and unwavering: universities cannot thrive in isolation.
“Academia cannot succeed without industry,” he stressed. He argued that collaboration is no longer optional but essential to sharpening graduate competencies, aligning curricula with labour market demands and restoring public confidence in university education.
As IAUE deepens these partnerships, the institution is ready for a strategic transformation, one that prioritises graduates who are not just intelligent, but industry-ready. For Dr. Igwe, this is more than administrative policy, it is a legacy project aimed at redefining IAUE as a meeting point between theory and practice as the university firmly positions to shape the future of work and national development.
