The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has recently hosted two high-profile delegations—one from The Gambia’s Environmental Protection Agency and another from Nigeria’s National Universities Commission (NUC)—as part of ongoing academic and institutional collaborations.
Uniport’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Owunari Georgewill, disclosed details of the visits via his official social media handle. He highlighted the significance of both engagements to the university’s international partnerships and academic development.
The Gambian delegation was received on a study tour to the university’s Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Sustainable Development (INRES), which serves as the centre for natural resources and environmental research. Prof Georgewill noted that the collaboration between UNIPORT and The Gambia’s Ministry of Environment dates back several years, yielding research products that have contributed significantly to environmental improvements in the West African country.
“The collaboration with the Gambia Environmental Ministry dates back to several years ago and the products of this collaboration on their return home have contributed significantly to their country’s environmental impact successes,” the Vice Chancellor stated.
The delegation was also taken on a tour of key cultural landmarks on campus, including the Gambia Ama and Banjul Circle in the Abuja Campus of the school, named in honour of the longstanding academic ties between the two institutions.
In a separate event, the NUC team visited UNIPORT on a post-validation mission for its online distance learning programme. The visit centred on evaluating the progress made by the university’s Open and Distance e-Learning (ODEL) Centre since the last assessment by the commission.
According to the Vice Chancellor, “The visit will afford the ODEL Centre of the University to showcase the successes of the centre since after the last visit of the NUC. It is hoped that this visit will help expand the programmes offered at the centre.” He also thanked the Executive Secretary of the NUC for approving the visit.
The university affirmed its commitment to deepening environmental research and advancing digital education delivery through sustained partnerships with both national and international institutions.
Meanwhile, the University of Port Harcourt officially resumed academic activities today, Monday, May 19, 2025, after a brief break in its academic calendar.