UNIZIK IS THE MOST -SOUGHT-AFTER UNIVERSITY IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA
AMAP DELEGATION COMMENDS UNIZIK DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION DRIVE UNDER PROF ANYAEHIE
The Association of Marketing Academic Professionals (AMAP) has paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, ahead of its Second Academic Conference and Third Annual General Meeting (AGM), held from 8th to 9th October 2026, under the theme, “The Future of Marketing Education: Embracing Artificial Intelligence, Data and Creativity.”
The visit, which took place on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, marking the first phase of the opening ceremony, was led by the President of AMAP, Professor Promise Chika Oparah, who is also the Head of the Department of Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
Speaking during the visit, Professor Oparah expressed appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor for his continued support for the association, noting that it was not the first time AMAP had visited the university leadership.
Prof. Oparah explained that the conference would examine the role of artificial intelligence, data and creativity in advancing marketing education and practice.
According to him, the association resolved to honour Professor Anyaehie in recognition of his commitment to digital transformation and online training. He noted that the Vice-Chancellor’s initiatives in digital education and service delivery aligned with the conference theme, making him a deserving recipient of the proposed award.
Professor Oparah further informed the Vice-Chancellor that preparations for the conference were completed while presenting him with the conference tag and expressing the association’s desire for him to attend the event and formally declare it open.
In his response, Professor Anyaehie welcomed the delegation to what he described as the “Great UNIZIK,” expressing the university’s readiness to collaborate with AMAP and other stakeholders in advancing academic excellence and innovation.
The Vice-Chancellor described Nnamdi Azikiwe University as the most sought-after University in the South-East and the fifth most sought-after university in Nigeria. He also recalled the legacy of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, after whom the institution is named, expressing confidence in the university’s potential for continued growth and national relevance.
Professor Anyaehie assured the association of the university’s support and commended its efforts to promote contemporary approaches to marketing education while acknowledging the presence of corporate sponsors and other stakeholders, expressing optimism about stronger partnerships between the university, professional associations and industry.
Addressing the proposed award, the Vice-Chancellor expressed humility, questioning what he had done to deserve the recognition at the early stage of his administration. However, he acknowledged that the university had made significant progress in digital transformation, particularly in student services and administrative processes.
Prof. Anyaehie disclosed that the university had introduced a digital clearance system that enables students to complete their clearance from any part of the world within five days
According to him, the system can generate provisional certificates upon successful clearance, with the provisional watermark removed after the completion of the required processes and convocation adding that the certificates incorporate a scannable barcode to facilitate verification of their authenticity.
The Vice-Chancellor further revealed that the university had digitalised its transcript system and continued to attract scholarship opportunities for her students including the recent scholarship support for 30 students, who will receive ₦300,000 each from OPay Services as well as other scholarship opportunities from the Nigerian Education Trust Fund (NET Fund).
Professor Anyaehie also highlighted the introduction of incentive schemes for staff involved in transcript processing and student registration. He explained that the initiative was designed to recognise additional effort, improve productivity and address the challenges faced by staff in delivering essential university services.
Prof. Anyaehie noted that the university’s vision was not merely to become the most innovative institution but to demonstrate leadership that other universities could emulate.
According to him, UNIZIK seeks to create opportunities for collective progress by showing the way in digital innovation, rather than pursuing excellence in isolation.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed hope that the delegation would communicate the university’s achievements to the wider academic community and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to collaboration, innovation and institutional development promising to make efforts to attend the conference.
The delegation included the Head of the Department of Marketing, Dr Lawrence Okeke; the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Chief RT Hon. Professor Chinyere E. Igwe; the Chairman of AMAP’s Board of Trustees, Professor Glandson Nkwokah; retired Professor of Marketing, Professor Aham Anyanwu; and Professor Chuka Ifediora of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Others were the Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Professor Sunny Igwe; the Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, UNIZIK, Professor Frank Nwankwo; the General Manager, Commercial, UAC Foods, Dr Ayo Awosika; Professor Nwaogugu of UNIZIK; the Public Relations Officer of AMAP, Dr Chukwudi Ifekanandu; the Local Organising Committee Chairman, Professor Max Azugama; and the Treasurer of AMAP, Professor Doris Ademe, among other members.
The visit underscored the importance of collaboration between universities, professional academic associations and industry stakeholders in preparing marketing educators and practitioners for emerging developments in artificial intelligence, data-driven decision-making and creative innovation.
The AMAP conference is expected to provide a platform for academics and industry professionals to exchange ideas on the future of marketing education and explore innovative approaches to teaching, research and professional practice in an increasingly technology-driven environment.
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