New Bayelsa Varsity, Hensard, Set to Commence Operations

Hensard University, a newly established private university in Bayelsa state, is set to commence academic programmes in various disciplines as approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

According to the promoters of the institution, Hensard University, which was licensed in 2023 by the Federal Government of Nigeria is located at Toru-Orua, Sagbama Local Government of Bayelsa State.

The university, which has Senator Henry Seriake Dickson as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, is first private university in Bayelsa, and the fourth in the 27-year-old State.

A statement from the institution noted Dickson established Hensard University through the Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation as a special institution to drive entrepreneurship, leadership, and the maximisation of skills and knowledge to create a new generation of leaders with the requisite character, and passion to improve the society.

According to the statement, Hensard University would focus on academic excellence, character formation, discipline and commitment to service with the founding vision being to bridge gaps between academic certification, leadership and skills development and practical industrial application of knowledge for society’s development.

“Senator Dickson is not new to these visions. In his eight-year tenure as Governor of Bayelsa State, he prioritised education. The outcomes include the establishment of two universities – Bayelsa Medical University, Yenagoa, and the University of Africa in Toru-Orua,” the statement added.

It noted that his administration as Governor of Bayelsa state invested in education infrastructure alone more than N200 billion, adding that it was the highest expenditure on a single sector, and an amount that could have built the N67 billion Bayelsa International Airport three times.

“The university’s vision is to produce leaders, entrepreneurs, and champions of economic and social change.

“Hensard students will be taught entrepreneurship and encouraged to become real entrepreneurs while in school through exposure to practical involvement in the running, overseeing, and management of businesses in their chosen fields under the guidance and mentorship of the school.

“Hensard’s uniqueness is further highlighted in its comprehensive vision of the developments of the human being. While it strives for the highest standards in academics, research and innovation, it places emphases on character, morality, and spirituality without which academic qualification or life, by Hensard University standards, is incomplete,” it added.