TANSIAN UNIVERSITY APPOINTS REV. FR. PROF. NNAMDI NWANKWO ACTING VICE CHANCELLOR

       Rev. Fr. Prof. Nnamdi Nwankwo 

Appointment Follows Sudden Death of Newly Installed Ag Vice Chancellor, Prof. Umeoduagu.
-UMUNYA, Anambra State, Nigeria .

Following the sudden and tragic death of its newly installed Ag Vice Chancellor, Professor Carter Nnamdi Dike Umeoduagu, the Management of Tansian University has appointed Rev. Fr. Prof. Nnamdi Ambrose Nwankwo as its Acting Vice Chancellor.
  
  The 44-year-old Professor of Microbiology and former Anambra State lawmaker died on October 2, 2026, shortly after his official installation as Ag Vice Chancellor. 

The development had plunged the university community into mourning and prompted the institution to establish an investigative panel into the circumstances surrounding the death of Prof Umeoduagu and declared a two week mourning over his untimely death.

SENATE WELCOMES APPOINTMENT   
Some members of the Tansian University Senate who were contacted expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Prof. Umeoduagu and welcomed the appointment of Prof. Nwankwo, describing his extensive experience in academia, administration and the clergy background as valuable to the university at this critical period.
    
Other members of the University community also expressed confidence that the new Acting Vice Chancellor would help maintain institutional stability and ensure continuity in academic programmes, student welfare, reconciliation and mutual co-existence.

AN EXPERIENCED ADMINISTRATOR
    Prof. Nwankwo brings extensive experience in tertiary education administration. He recently served as the 3rd Rector of Enugu State Polytechnic (ESPOLY), Iwollo, where he supervised the relocation of the institution to its permanent site at Aguobu-Iwollo.
    
During his tenure, he secured 100 percent accreditation for 22 academic programmes, organised the institution's first convocation and facilitated major infrastructural development through TETFund support. He also strengthened the polytechnic's commercial agricultural activities.
    
An alumnus of Bigard Memorial Seminary, Prof. Nwankwo holds a Ph.D. from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and previously spent 12 years lecturing in Philosophy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also served for 12 years as Principal of the College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu.

CLERICAL AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES
    A senior cleric of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Fr. Nwankwo served as Episcopal Vicar for Priests and Episcopal Vicar for Public Relations. He also held civic responsibilities, including Deputy Chairman of the Enugu State Christian Pilgrim Board and Chairman of the Enugu State Pension Review Committee.
    
As he assumes office, members of the university Community have pledged their cooperation to ensure the continuity of the academic calendar, accreditation activities and staff and student welfare programmes during the transition.

Signed:
Fidelis Nwakwesili
Chief Press Secretary
Tansian University