Fides Media Living the Faith
By Abuchi Onwumelu
The Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof Charles Esimone, Saturday, June 4, 2021, at the varsity campus, marked 2 years in office.
Fides reports that Prof. Esimone assumed office as the 6th substantive Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK on June 4, 2019.
Professor Esimone, while marking 2 years in office, flagged off about 5 new students’ hostels, each with over 500 rooms, set to be built by different investors in a Public Private Partnership agreement.
He said the Awka (main) campus of the University environment was also having a good feel, with great ambience, energized atmosphere and gorgeous illumination. Night life, according to him,
was rekindled as Project 200 was dynamic and on course.
‘Early this year, the University commenced online application of documents which include Academic Transcript, Statement of Result, Proof of English Language as a medium of instruction, Attestation, and Certified True Copy of documents and Result/Certificate Verification; tall in a bid to making the process more efficient.
‘It is also on record that the University’s Medical Centre has moved into a more befitting gigantic structure. The store unit of the Bursary Department has also moved into their permanent spacious structure, Esimone said.
He said under his watch, University had benefitted immensely from TETFund which the encouraged the training of staff in the areas of Grant. He urged them to go all out in applying for such available grants, noting that it had yielded great fruits so far.
‘The University is among the twelve Universities selected and classified as Centres of Excellence for TETFund Research Grants in designated areas for each University. For UNIZIK, the designated area is Biomedical, Agricultural and Engineering Translational Studies. The grant subsists for five 5 years, within which period each University is to receive a total sum of one billion Naira.
‘Also, the University received approval of a research grant of the sum of N14, 937, 000. 00 from TETFund, under its COVID-19 Special Intervention Research Grant,’ Esomone disclosed.
Notwithstanding the negative impact of COVID-19 to the Economy, my administration has completed a good number of inherited projects while advancing the state of completion of others, as well as commencing new ones.
Some of the completed projects include Engineering Workshop, Engineering Lavatory, Remodeling of Multi-purpose Hall and Theatre Arts, Molecular Laboratory, six 500 capacity Lecture Hall, Construction of Central Stores for the Bursary, construction of access road from Works Department to University Library, construction and completion of classroom Block for the University High School, to mention but a few,’ he concluded.