NSUK and COOU Set to Consummate Pact, Sign MoU to Strengthen Academic Partnership

In what can best be described as the coming together of sister institutions with a shared heritage to forge and deepen academic collaboration, the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) and the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) on Monday, 25th August 2025, signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the NSUK Vice-Chancellor’s Office.

The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation in staff exchange, joint research, and other areas of mutual comparative advantage.

Welcoming the delegation, the Vice-Chancellor of NSUK, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, Fellow; UNESCO ACLS FIIFPN, expressed delight at the partnership, reaffirming NSUK’s commitment to collaborate with institutions that demonstrate capacity and readiness to share knowledge, mentorship, and innovation. She noted that the university’s recent achievements were the result of divine guidance and the collective dedication of her management team.

Professor Liman outlined the focus areas of the partnership, which include research and innovation, idea exchange, infrastructural development, investment opportunities, scholarships, as well as staff and student exchange programs. As an immediate step, she announced that NSUK would undertake a reciprocal visit to COOU to further strengthen the bond and learn from its institutional practices.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of COOU, Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha, FNIPR, expressed appreciation for the warm reception, praising NSUK’s contributions to knowledge development and resource-sharing, which she noted were instrumental in attracting a €400,000 Erasmus+ grant for her university. She described the visit as part of COOU’s broader strategy to foster meaningful academic linkages.

Professor Omenugha also highlighted the unique bond she shares with Professor Liman as the first female and fifth substantive Vice-Chancellor of their respective institutions. She commended Professor Liman’s visionary leadership and transformative strides in raising academic standards. Emphasizing the significance of a formal MoU, she stressed its importance in community-based research, innovation, academic exchange, and cultural integration, all of which would foster mutual growth and institutional advancement.

The highlight of the event was the formal signing and exchange of the MoU, followed by the presentation of souvenirs by Professor Liman to the COOU delegation and reciprocal gifts from Professor Omenugha’s team to NSUK. The ceremony concluded with a brief tour of the Senate Building and a group photograph to commemorate the historic engagement.