New Umuahia Bus Terminal Named After Prof Nnenna Oti, FUTO’s VC 

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has commissioned the newly completed Umuahia Central Bus Terminal and named the facility after Prof. Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti in recognition of her role during the 2023 governorship election in the state.

The multimodal transport facility, inaugurated in Umuahia, was named the Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal to honour her courage, integrity, and commitment to truth while serving as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer during the election that brought Alex Otti into office.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the governor described Prof. Nnenna as a symbol of honesty and patriotism for resisting pressure and defending the integrity of the electoral process.

“This terminal has been named after Professor Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the courageous INEC returning officer who demonstrated unflinching integrity in the discharge of her duties during a high-stakes election assignment here in Abia,” Otti said.

According to the governor, the honour goes beyond celebrating one individual and also recognises electoral officials, security agencies, party agents, and citizens who resisted electoral manipulation and protected democracy.

Prof. Nnenna Oti, the first female Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), gained national recognition for her handling of the collation process during the 2023 Abia governorship election.

A respected academic in Soil Science and Environmental Conservation, she has held several leadership positions at FUTO, including Head of Department of Soil Science and Technology, Dean of the Postgraduate School, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), before becoming the university’s eighth substantive vice-chancellor.

Originally from Afikpo in Ebonyi State, Prof. Nnenna graduated with a First Class degree in Soil Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and later obtained advanced qualifications in Soil Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Irrigation Engineering.

She also won the National Universities Commission (NUC) Best PhD Award in Nigeria in 2002 and has contributed extensively to research, governance, leadership development, and gender advocacy.