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Prof. Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Development, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, (MOUAU), has tasked the academia and leaders at all levels to ensure that decisions are made with evidence.
Akanwa, the 65th Inuagural lecturer of MOUAU, who made the call on Wednesday, 12th, November, 2025 while delivering her lecture on the topic “Assessment for Policy and Decision Making: An Imperative for Sustainable Development”, said when individuals make policies that are not evidence-based, they stand a chance of taking decisions in the dam.
Addressing journalists after her thrilling lecture held at the Anyim Pius Auditorium which attracted family members, students, the academia, members of same faith, the erudite Professor revealed that assessment is essential in decision-making as well as a key component in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
According to her, assessment is not an end, rather a means to an end, stressing that no matter the sector involved, there is a need to carry out an assessment regularly to ensure that right policies that will foster development, transparency are attained.
The academia contended that assessment should not be seen as a punitive ritual, rather, a developmental ritual, cautioning academics and educationists who make their students feel insecure when they set exams to retrace their steps.
She said, “Though assessment of the student is a test of the students’ ability, it should not just end there, it has to be holistic.”
Narrowing it down in the Nigerian context, the academia regretted that there has been the existence of policy summersaults orchestrated by previous administrations, appealing to leaders at all levels to review avalanche of policies in the country to conform with the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
She added that any country that has policy summersaults will experience inconsistencies, emphasising that once there is, waste and eventual leakage of resources which further breeds lack of transparency becomes imminent.
Prof. Akanwa said, “One thing about decision is that before you can take an effective and plausible decision, you must have assessment. Generate all the data and evaluate in line with prevailing circumstances because assessment generates output and research findings. It is this evidence that is used to take decisions.
Continuing, “We should make our decisions holistic. We should make them reliable. So that the decisions we take will be effective and efficient.
Prof. Akanwa called on academics, leaders to ensure that policies are allowed to last for a period of time, emphasizing that this will give room for proper assessment, evaluation and further input where lacunas exist.
During the inuagural lecture, the Vice-Chancellor, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, admitted that there has been policy summersaults in Nigeria while stressing the need for a re-assesement of policies in Nigeria.
The MOUAU VC, lauded the inuagural lecturer for her exposition just as he also announced that the 66th inuagural lecture of the citadel will be held December 10th, 2025.
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