Our History/Emergence
Following the recent round of competitive bid for Africa Centre of Excellence (ACE) in various fields of human endeavor, the University of Port Harcourt successfully attracted another World Bank funded African Centre of Excellence for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR) added to the existing Centre of Excellence for Oilfield Chemical Research. This makes the University of Port Harcourt one of twelve in Nigeria hosting ACE impact projects and also one of three (including Bayero and UNILAG) hosting two of such projects.
The ACE-3 impact project is designed to improve the quality, quantity of PG education and improve regional specialisation and also participation. Indeed, ACEs like PUTOR are set-up to be regional Centres that would promote collaboration and interdisciplinary research; build strong reputation for excellence; support teaching, learning, assessment of students; provide uninterrupted research and learning Calendar. Most of these Centres are insulated but not isolated from the vagaries of the University’s system and are expected to be self-sustaining at the end of the performance-based funding cycle. They are also expected to send quarterly and annual progress reports to host Universities and NUC.
PUTOR Selection Process
From the report of the National Universities Commission, twelve countries participated in the ACE-1 &3 programme in West and Central Africa. These include Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Niger, Djibouti, Guinea, Togo and the Gambia. In Nigeria, applications were opened to all 152 (40 Federal, 44 States, 68 Private) universities in Nigeria and most fields of academic training. Nigerian universities expressed a total of
- 151 interests (topics for the intended proposals)
- 132 proposals were eventually submitted
- 122 of these proposals were for the establishment of new Centres
- 10 of these proposals were for the renewal of existing ACE-1 Centres
- 43 proposals scaled through to international review
- 35 new proposals
- 8 out of the 10 existing Centres
- 26 proposals qualified for onsite evaluation
- 17 Centres were eventually selected with 10 being completely new Centres while the remaining 7 were part of the 10 existing Centres
The total number of ACE-3 Impact Centres across the 12 countries in West and Central Africa are 44
Our Background
Health systems played a key role in the dramatic rise in global life expectancy during the 20th century and still contribute enormously to the improvement in population health. A multi-disciplinary health workforce is the backbone of each health system that facilitates the smooth implementation of health actions for sustainable socio-economic development. The density of health workforce is directly correlated with positive health outcomes and coverage for essential health intervention. The sub-Saharan African region has about 11% of the world’s population, accounts for over 24% of global disease burden but is home to only 3% of the global health workforce and spends less than 1% of the world’s financial resources on health.
Furthermore, the direct effect of crude oil prospecting and exploration had left some deleterious consequences on the ecosystem and public health in all the countries in this region. The way of life of the people, which are largely aquatic, has been completely destroyed. More recently, there had been a ‘double air pollution burden’ in the city of Port Harcourt. The persistence of black soot over the city is partly the result of meteorological changes, criminal activities of artisanal crude oil refiners, poor environmental regulatory activities and the dearth of strategic knowledge resource to combat these preventable catastrophes.
Adequately trained and highly skills health workforce has a major role in tackling the public health and environmental issues with oil exploration and exploitation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria as well as contiguous areas in the Gulf of Guinea. Environmental degradation, especially the swamps, rivers and creeks from oil spills, pipeline vandalisation and illegal refining activities are the major fall outs of the oil and gas industry in the Niger Delta region. This affects the health and livelihood of the people who depend on the ecosystem services for survival, leading to increased poverty and hunger. The problem is compounded by the paucity of highly skilled and motivated health professionals who are equipped with current knowledge, skills and competencies required for conducting cutting –edge research in public health, toxicology, nutrition and nursing that would help mitigate the public health issues arising from oil and gas exploration in the region.
It becomes imperative to have a regional Centre of Excellence that would proffer solutions to the public health issues associated with oil and gas exploration and exploitation in the region. This can be achieved by developing high calibre manpower with the requisite teaching skills and research abilities, to handle the public health and environmental challenges hindering sustainable development in regions of Africa where oil and gas activities are on-going.
Health systems played a key role in the dramatic rise in global life expectancy during the 20th century and still contribute enormously to the improvement in population health. A multi-disciplinary health workforce is the backbone of each health system that facilitates the smooth implementation of health actions for sustainable socio-economic development. The density of health workforce is directly correlated with positive health outcomes and coverage for essential health intervention. The sub-Saharan African region has about 11% of the world’s population, accounts for over 24% of global disease burden but is home to only 3% of the global health workforce and spends less than 1% of the world’s financial resources on health.
Furthermore, the direct effect of crude oil prospecting and exploration had left some deleterious consequences on the ecosystem and public health in all the countries in this region. The way of life of the people, which are largely aquatic, has been completely destroyed. More recently, there had been a ‘double air pollution burden’ in the city of Port Harcourt. The persistence of black soot over the city is partly the result of meteorological changes, criminal activities of artisanal crude oil refiners, poor environmental regulatory activities and the dearth of strategic knowledge resource to combat these preventable catastrophes.
Adequately trained and highly skills health workforce has a major role in tackling the public health and environmental issues with oil exploration and exploitation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria as well as contiguous areas in the Gulf of Guinea. Environmental degradation, especially the swamps, rivers and creeks from oil spills, pipeline vandalisation and illegal refining activities are the major fall outs of the oil and gas industry in the Niger Delta region. This affects the health and livelihood of the people who depend on the ecosystem services for survival, leading to increased poverty and hunger. The problem is compounded by the paucity of highly skilled and motivated health professionals who are equipped with current knowledge, skills and competencies required for conducting cutting –edge research in public health, toxicology, nutrition and nursing that would help mitigate the public health issues arising from oil and gas exploration in the region.

The Centre will develop high calibre manpower with the requisite teaching skills and research abilities, to handle the public health and environmental challenges hindering sustainable development in regions of Africa where oil and gas activities are on-going
About us
PUTOR is a World Bank funded African Centre of Excellence for Public Health and Toxicological Research. It is a platform for providing inter-disciplinary academic stream of postgraduate programmes and rapidly bridge the current paucity of adequately trained personnel with terminal degrees in public health, toxicology, nutrition and midwifery/child health nursing in sub-Saharan Africa.
Vision
Our vision is to become a centre of excellence in providing highly sought-after, world-class academic and professional programmes which are recognised for local relevance, international excellence and global impact in the field of public health, toxicology, human/community nutrition and midwifery and child health nursing.
Mission
Our mission is to provide a platform to congregate highly skilled human resource both within and outside the UniPort; build a robust resource of highly skilled and motivated public health professionals who are equipped with current knowledge, skills and competencies required to improve the practice of public health, human/community nutrition, toxicology and midwifery and child health nursing; produce cutting –edge research projects to solve public health issues arising from oil and gas sectors and undertake consultancy and community services.
Specific Objectives
Specific Objectives of the Centre include the
- Training of students and technical experts/policymakers through short courses on relevant public health and toxicological issues in the region.
- Training national and regional Masters’ students in the focused areas
- Training national and regional students to obtain PhDs in the focused areas.
- Developing regional research capacity to support focused interventions on developmental challenges
Why Choose Us
The philosophy of the programmes in PUTOR is underpinned by the need to promote equity, excellence and integrity. This is premised on developing the knowledge, skills and competences of students from diverse academic backgrounds to becoming industry ready professionals. The instructions apply newer pedagogical techniques built around blended learning, competency-based learning and self-directed learning.
Other advantages are our strong emphasis on collaboration and interdisciplinary research; strong reputation for excellence; availability of a language laboratory for training non-English students; e-library facility; access to electronic learning resources; unparalleled support for teaching & learning; comfortable learning environment; students’ support; uninterrupted learning calendar.
Methodology
Philosophically, all programmes in PUTOR are designed with the need to promote equity, excellence and integrity. These are premised on developing the knowledge, skills and competences of students from diverse academic backgrounds to becoming industry-ready professionals.
A period of internship in the relevant industry/sector is mandatory and newer pedagogical techniques built around blended learning, competency-based learning and self-directed learning are applied. New programmes leading to Masters and PhDs will be developed while some of the existing ones are being substantially reviewed with the involvement of the broad stakeholders and partners.
The Centre and the collaborating units in the University will be responsible for programme coordination. We aim to have both local and international accreditations for these programmes as such; they are tailored to meet specific regional development needs and bear global relevance.
All activities of the Centre have strong value propositions that will eventually translate into developing high-flying public health professionals that are equipped to solve local problems. All staff will be trained on the newer pedagogical and applied research methodologies that will be deployed. Faculty and students will be recruited from the West African region to build regional capacity and collaboration.
All activities of the Centre have strong value propositions that will eventually translate into developing high-flying public health professionals that are equipped to solve local problems. All staff will be trained on the newer pedagogical and applied research methodologies that will be deployed. Faculty and students will be recruited from the West African region to build regional capacity and collaboration.
The key international partners (see appendix) will work with PUTOR and collaborating school/centre/departments to review and develop new curricula, conduct training and short courses, support the supervision and mentorship of PhDs and Masters’ students, and participate in students/faculty exchange and visits.

Partnerships
PUTOR has developed strong partnerships with a broad range of partners – industry, sectoral, academic and international partners which would contribute to the successful implementation of its mandates. UniPort also strives to maintain strong learning and research environment and had earned an enviable status in 2015 by ranking first in Nigeria and 6th in Africa based on its score for research influence.
The center further seeks national, regional and international partnerships that will enhance the learning environment for students, promote faculty development, collaborative applied research and new knowledge in the field of public health, toxicology, nutritional biochemistry and midwifery/child health.
The collaborating units and departments at UniPort are: The University of Port Harcourt School of Public Health, the Centre for Marine Pollution Monitoring and Seafood Safety, Centre for Health and Development, Departments of Experimental Pharmacology/Toxicology, Nursing and Biochemistry. Sector partners include: The Federal Ministry of Health, The Rivers State Ministry of Health, The Rivers State Ministry of Environment, The Bayelsa State Ministry of Health, The Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, The Rivers State Hospital’s Management Board, The Rivers State Agency for the Control of AIDS (RIV-SACA). Port Harcourt Water Corporation, Rivers State Waste Management Agency, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, The Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The local industry partners include the World Health Organisation, AFRICARE, Preventive and Public Health Consult, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Hope and Care Foundation, Rhema Care Integrated Development Centre, Youth Profile, FHI 360, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company, RNZ Occupational Specialist Hospital, National academic partners include the University of Benin, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the University of Nigeria which would co-supervise thesis students and provide faculty for exchange in the area of toxicology, Department of Community Medicine in the University of Calabar which would co-supervise thesis students and provide faculty for exchange in the area of public health, Department of Nursing in the University of Ibadan; Department of Nursing in the University of Ilorin Regional and National ACE partners include the ACE in Reproductive Health and Innovation (CERHI), University of Benin; ACE in Oilfield Chemical Research (CEFOR), University of Port Harcourt; ACE in Public Health and Herbal Medicine (ACEPHEM) in the University of Malawi which would provide a site for collaborative research for student and faculty projects and faculty exchange.
The key international partner institutions whose faculty would be engaged in the project include: School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia. Australia; Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Florida International University; Dalla Lana School of Public Health in the University of Toronto, Canada; Health Department, State University of New York at Cortland, USA; The Research Development Unit of The University of Durham, UK The international partner institutions will work with specific Departments within PUTOR to review and develop new curricular, conduct trainings and short courses, provide additional mentorship to PHD and Masters Students, and participate in students/faculty exchange and visits.
The key international partner institutions whose faculty would be engaged in the project include: The University of Aberdeen in the area of advanced nursing degrees, Harvard School of Public Health in public health and reproductive health, the University of Toronto in reproductive health law and the University of Maryland reproductive health applied research. The international partner institutions will work with specific Departments within CERHI to review and develop new curricular, conduct trainings and short courses, provide additional mentorship to PHD and Masters Students, and participate in students/faculty exchange and visits.