By Ewere Okonta, PhD
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The Department of Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor (UNIDEL), has successfully conducted its External Project Defence for final-year students, marking another significant milestone in the academic journey of the department’s second set of graduating students.
The exercise, which brought together final-year students and faculty members, was designed to assess the students’ understanding of their research projects, their ability to defend their findings, and their readiness to transition from the university into the wider professional world.
Setting the ball rolling, the Head of the Department of Business Administration, Dr. Mrs. Florence Igweh, welcomed the students and members of the academic community to the programme. She urged the students to approach the exercise with the seriousness it deserved, stressing that project writing and defence constitute a fundamental component of their academic requirements for graduation.
Dr. Igweh also extended a special welcome to the External Examiner, Prof. Chigbo Donatus Ngige, a foremost Professor of Management from the Faculty of Management Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State.
Prof. Ngige wasted no time in getting down to business. One after another, he subjected the students to detailed questioning on their research topics, methodology, findings, analyses and conclusions. His approach, described by both students and faculty members as thorough and rigorous, provided the candidates with an opportunity to demonstrate not only what they had written but also how well they understood the research process.
The atmosphere throughout the exercise was engaging, intellectually stimulating and, at various points, challenging. For the students, it was more than simply answering questions; it was a practical test of their ability to think critically, defend their positions and demonstrate mastery of the knowledge acquired during their four-year programme.
For the faculty members, the exercise also offered an opportunity to assess the academic growth of the students and the effectiveness of the department’s training and supervision processes.
Speaking on the significance of the occasion, Dr. Mrs. Igweh commended the students for their good conduct throughout their four-year programme at UNIDEL. She noted that their behaviour had contributed positively to the image of the department and urged them to sustain the same character beyond the university.
She charged them to leave the institution as worthy ambassadors of UNIDEL, reminding them that graduation should not mark the end of their relationship with the university but the beginning of a new responsibility to represent the institution positively wherever they find themselves.
According to her, “Whatever we are doing here today is in line with the ‘Project RAISE UNIDEL Higher’ strategy of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eric Eboh.”
The Head of Department further emphasised that academic excellence must be accompanied by discipline, integrity and good character, particularly as the students prepare to enter the competitive world of business, management and entrepreneurship.
The Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, UNIDEL, Prof. Sina Oladipupo, Esq., also made a brief appearance at the ceremony. He commended the Department of Business Administration for consistently demonstrating leadership and setting the pace within the faculty.
Prof. Oladipupo particularly praised the strong sense of camaraderie among members of the department, noting the collaborative spirit that has continued to distinguish the department.
The External Project Defence is particularly significant because the students represent the second set of graduates from the Department of Business Administration at UNIDEL. Their academic journey therefore represents another important chapter in the development and consolidation of the relatively young department.
The exercise also underscored the department’s commitment to maintaining academic standards and ensuring that students do not merely fulfil graduation requirements but acquire the intellectual capacity and professional confidence required to compete effectively beyond the university.
Faculty members who witnessed the programme included Dr. Leo Ojogbo, Dr. Bello Adams, Dr. Voke Ibini, Dr. Liberty Nwajei, Dr. Ewere Obieze, Dr. Hilary Odor, Dr. Tessy Morka, Dr. Marthar Teagar, Dr. Chinaza Uzozie and Dr. Ewere Okonta.
Others were Mr. Uyi Ohonba, Mr. Precious Onwukegwu, Mr. Samuel Okhumata, Mr. Abraham Etacheru and Mr. Henry Agubuike.
As the students await the conclusion of the remaining processes leading to their graduation, the External Project Defence has undoubtedly provided a memorable academic finale to their undergraduate experience.
For the Department of Business Administration, however, the message is clear: graduation is not merely about producing degree holders; it is about producing graduates equipped with knowledge, critical thinking, professional competence and character.
And if the rigour witnessed during the defence is anything to go by, the department appears determined to continue raising the bar and, in the spirit of Project RAISE UNIDEL Higher, ensuring that its graduates are prepared to make meaningful contributions wherever their professional journeys take them.
*Dr Ewere Okonta is the CEO of EOB Media. He writes from the Department of Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor*
Comments (1)
This kind of drills are very important to ensure that young graduates knows what it entails in research writing.
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