Environmental Management – Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University

Brief Historical Evolution of Environmental Management Programme/Department

The Department of Environmental Management was established under the Faculty of Environmental Sciences in the 2001/2002 as one of the foundation Department of the Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Sciences of the former Anambra State University, Uli and now Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State. The faculty was later demerged and Faculty of Environmental Sciences created in 2011/2012 academic session with the Department of Environmental Management as one of the foundation Departments. The Department which started as a four-year programme for the award of Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) in Environmental Management later changed to a five-year programme for the award of Bachelor of Science (BSc) Environmental Management in 2005/2006 academic session. The Department commenced the award of higher degrees (MSc and PhD) as well as post graduate diploma (PGD) since 2009/2010 academic session. The Department of Environmental Management is housed in a separate one floor building. Its main focus is the primary responsibility of producing high quality Environmental Managers equipped with the skills and expertise for the solution of Environmental problems in the country at large and the State in particular. The Department of Environmental Management is grateful to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Greg. C Nwakoby for his unflinching support and deep interest towards interdisciplinary and inter-university research and education. Also, the current Dean for Environmental Management Professor, Leonard. N. Muoghalu who had made immense contributions in promoting academic aspirations of the department and Anambra State as a whole.

The Department has had nine (9) Heads of Department (HOD) from inception till date. Presently, Dr. Akanwa Angela Oyilieze is the current Head of Department and she has positioned the Department for the pursuit of stronger reliance on collaborative research studies with national and international universities. All in the bid to promote environmental management, planetary health and climate change solutions and pathways to policy action in Nigeria and beyond. This is to boost the legacy of research, teaching, learning and mentorship targeted to influence our nation and beyond.

Mission

Our undergraduate and post graduate programmes is designed to train and produce well-equipped professionals to meet the challenges of the national and international needs for the physical and human environment. The program philosophy is hinged on producing graduates equipped with the skills, expertise, and confidence to grapple with the environmental problems facing Nigeria, Anambra State and beyond.

Vision

The Department is a pace-setting center of excellence rooted in our indigenous culture, indigenous knowledge and technology, and committed to harnessing, developing, disseminating and preserving them through lectures, research, fieldwork and practical works.The programme envisages producing sound specialist cum professional environmental managers capable of relating the world of work, well rounded productive and self-employable graduates equipped to contribute to the overall well-being of various aspects of the society and the entire global environment.

Academic Staff

Prof. Augustina Ukamaka Okonkwo

UKEGBUNAM, FLORENCE IFEOMA

Dr. Innocent Chukwukalo Ezeomedo

Arc. Samuel Onwudinjo Okeke

Mr. Igwe Peter Uchenna

Dr Angela Oyilieze Akanwa

Mr. Arah Victor Chukwuemeka

Mr Charles Chikodili Anukwonke

Mr Obidiegwu Michael Chinedu

Programme/Admissions

BSc Programme

The programme is organised into a five-year (ten-semester) leading to the award of Bachelor of Science degree. The programme is flexible to allow for re-examination of its relevance to society, its capability to generate backward integration and linkage to energize environmental awareness through producing graduates relevant to the Nigerian economy.

Thus, it envisages producing sound and specialist/professional environmental managers

capable of relating the world of work-well rounded, productive and self-employable graduates equipped to contribute to the overall well-being of various aspects of their society and the environment. Without prejudice to the national and global commitment, our programme is tailored to a large extent, to see Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in general, as its major constituency in formulating, designing, planning, monitoring and tackling the environmental problems, needs and challenges of the Nation.

Nature of Degree: B.Sc. (Environmental Management)

The department awards the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management, described for short as B.Sc. (Environmental Management).

Aim and Objectives

The aim of the Programme is solely to produce competent graduates with sufficient theoretical knowledge and practical skills to deal with planning, design^ construction, management and conservation of the man-made and natural environment.

The key objectives of the Programme include, among others, enabling student to:

Acquire sufficient and relevant academic and technical knowledge and skills for dealing with the problems of the environment.
Acquire through practical field exposure and laboratory analysis, the multi-disciplinary perspectives that bear on enlightened application of the problems of environmental management.
Learn to work as a team and achieve disciplinary synthesis for assaulting the problems arising from the use of natural resources to achieve sustainable development.
Appreciate through theoretical and field work exposure, the problems confronting the various ecosystems in Nigeria and by so doing; appreciate the concept of unity in diversity germane for sustained Nigeria nation building process.
Acquire competence to work in various sectors of the Nigerian economy that impact on the environment.
Develop skills for environmental monitoring and auditing for building up reliable geographic and environmental information system leading to enlightened environmental based policies and decision-making processes.
Develop competence for rapid environmental data solution management techniques for practical problems solving, and thus making greater contribution to Nigeria’s development.

The curriculum of the Department is therefore structured as follows:

(a). Foundation Courses at 100 and 200 levels

(b). Broad based background in Environmental Management

(c). Technology works, Laboratory work and Tutorials.

(d). Design projects with bias towards local applications.

(e). Adequate knowledge in the areas of Environmental Management, Economics and Law.

Admission Requirements

For entry into Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) Programme in Environmental Management, candidates must meet the general university, as well as faculty and departmental admission requirements. Candidate for admission through UTME must possess the Senior School Certificate or GCE 0/L, NECO, NABTEC at credit levels in at least five subjects including Mathematics, English Language and Chemistry and any two of: Biology, Geography, Economics Agricultural Science, Aquaculture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, etc.

ii/Admission by Direct Entry: This requires fulfilling the SSCE/GCE ‘O’ level admission requirements and at least two “A” level / HSC / IJMB or equivalent passes in chemistry, biology, geography, geology, agricultural science, mathematics or physics. Holders of OND/HND certificates in Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, Estate Management, Agriculture, Forestry, Wildlife and Civil or Chemical Engineering may be considered for admission into the 200-level of the programme.

Duration of Programme

The Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Management lasts for five/four years for holders of Senior Secondary Certificate or equivalent and direct entry candidates, respectively. That is minimum period of 10 semesters or five academic sessions for UTME entrants; and 8 semesters or four academic sessions for direct entry candidates, respectively. However, any student who fails to graduate within the minimum duration is granted an extension of two and half extra academic sessions by written application for extension to the university senate and an approval granted. Any student that fails to graduate within the extended period must leave the university without any degree result.

Career Opportunities

Career prospects for talented Environmental Management graduate are good, with worldwide opportunities in consultancy, private practice, the landscape industry, land resource management and impact studies, resource conservation, local government central government agencies. The range of career opportunities for talented Environmental Management graduate is wide and still growing.

Environmental Management often works in terms with other disciplines in site planning and designing. They work closely with architects, engineers and horticulturists. On a broader scale, they work with resource managers and planners. The distinctive approach that Environmental Management brings to a project is a combination of creativity, critique and problem-solving skills which are integrated with a broad understanding of the natural and cultural environment.

Professional Involvement

Environmental Management contributes to a wide range of ‘projects for private institutional and government clients. These include: civil development, urban design, tourism development, residential and life style subdivision and commercial, institutional and industrial projects There is also opportunity to work on parks, highways, heritage conservation, ecological restoration and re-vegetation, city or rural planning and resource policy.

On graduating, the Environmental Management graduate can either commence or generate employment–consultancy on environmental impact assessment, environmental audit, raising of nursery, industry and city beautification project.

M.Sc. Environmental Management Programme

This programme is geared towards professionalism and research culminating into professional practice, project management and specialization. Apart from tackling complex socio-economic, health risks and environmental problems, sustainable development, governance, climate change risks, extractive industries, GIS and remote sensing, waste management, flooding/erosion, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and safety issues among others are studied in order to produce specialised areas for environmental protection, conservation, sanitation, management and control. The approach takes the students through project identification, data processing, research process and design, supervision and management with considerations on environmental governance, laws and regulatory constraints in the society.

PhD Environmental Management Programme

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme for the Department of Environmental Management is focused on equipping its Phd students on environmental studies covering diverse specialized research fields on the environment. It is designed to help the candidate develop and sustain deeper interest in an area of clear academic scholarship leading to in-depth contribution to knowledge. It is hoped that the format helps the candidate to develop a structured yet open mind from experience and scholarship. It is aimed at producing highly confident, very skilled and well-rounded graduates for public, private and international organizations.