UI DVC Celebrates Professor Ugwumba's Successful Career, Seeks Continued Advice

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), University of Ibadan, Professor Juwon Arotiba, has celebrated Professor Adiaha A. Ugwumba for successfully completing her outstanding career at the University and called for her continued counsel even after retirement.

Professor Arotiba stated this while receiving the retiring don as well as a team from the Faculty of Science and the Department of Zoology, led by the Dean, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Arotiba stated that the occasion was one of mixed feelings, noting that while the University was happy to celebrate Professor Ugwumba's successful career, it was also difficult to let go of a valued member of the academic community.

He described the sojourn of Prof Ugwumba in the University as having ended well, adding that the University was proud of the eminent scholar's contributions and accomplishments. He commended the retiree for her contributions to her area of specialisation, particularly in Zoology, Fisheries, Ecology and the environmental aspects of aquatic animals.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor congratulated Professor Ugwumba on her retirement and wished her many more years of strength, good health and divine favour, while encouraging her to enjoy the fruits of her labour and continue to contribute to the University through her counsel.

Earlier, the Head of the Department of Zoology, Professor Aina O. Adeogun, described Professor Ugwumba as an icon of excellence, integrity and dedication, whose career had left a significant legacy in the Department and the wider University community. Professor Adeogun disclosed that Professor Ugwumba had supervised more than 15 PhD students, about 10 of whom had become professors. She added that her academic influence extended across Nigeria, with her former students who had attained professorial positions represented across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The Head of Department also highlighted Professor Ugwumba's contribution to infrastructure and innovation during her tenure as Head of Department, noting that she was among the early heads who recognised the need for alternative power supply and facilitated the installation of an alternative power system in the Department of Zoology about 12 years ago. She said the Department was presenting Professor Ugwumba to the Vice-Chancellor with mixed feelings, celebrating her attainment of retirement age while also recognising the loss of a hardworking and dedicated scientist from active service.

Responding, Professor Ugwumba expressed gratitude to the management, her colleagues and other members of the University community for their support throughout her career. She described her retirement as emotional but expressed gratitude for completing her active service generally in good health.

Professor Ugwumba revealed that she and her husband had spent more than 40 years associated with the University of Ibadan, from their days as students and subsequent years as members of staff. She described UI as having been an integral part of their lives, adding that her experience at the University had shaped her perception of academic standards. According to her, the University of Ibadan remained a benchmark by which she assessed other institutions she had encountered in the course of her professional engagements.

She expressed particular appreciation for the University's academic standards, saying that the discipline and quality she experienced at UI were difficult to find elsewhere. Professor Ugwumba prayed for the continued success of the University and expressed her desire to remain connected with UI and contribute to the institution even after leaving active service. She thanked the University community for making her years of service meaningful and prayed for God's blessings on the University and its members.

The occasion featured the presentation of Professor Ugwumba to the Vice-Chancellor and a celebration of her contributions to the Department of Zoology and the University of Ibadan.