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From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The Director of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACE-SPED) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof Emenike Ejiogu has said that the centre has transitioned to a sustainable operational phase beyond its initial World Bank and French Development Agency (AFD) funding.
ACE-SPED is a World Bank-assisted project domiciled at the UNN, conceptualized to proffer sustainable solutions to some developmental challenges peculiar to the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
Addressing newsmen in Nsukka on Monday on the current status, activities, achievements, and challenges of the centre, Ejiogu disclosed that the five-year official funding of the centre by the World Bank and AFD ended in June 2025, stating that it has switched to a sustainable mode (which means that the centre is funding itself).
According to the director, the “sustainable mode’ is the centre’s commitment to ensuring its continued existence and impact in solving Africa’s energy challenges through education, research, and self-sustaining operations.
“The centre will continue in its commitment to ensuring its continued existence and impact in solving Africa’s energy challenges through education, research, and self-sustaining operations.
“The centre is capable of funding itself since the World Bank and AFD have sown the seed of providing the centre with what it needed to operate smoothly in order to sustain itself.
“The end of the five-year funding of World Bank and AFD did not come to the centre as a surprise because right from the beginning the funding period is known as five years so the management and staff of the centre had already keyed in and have been working hard to continue the operations of the centre smoothly after June 2025,
“It is not only ACE-SPED UNN that has transitioned into sustainable mode but all the 20 ACE Alliance in the country as the five-year duration of funding by World Bank and AFD ended in June this year,” he said.
Ejiogu explained further that to enable the centre to continue to deliver on its mandates the centre recently introduced professional and vocational short courses to the public that will continue to yield revenue for the centre among other revenue initiatives of the centre.
“These courses are designed to equip Nigerians and other Africans with specialized skills in advancing sustainable energy and technological development across the continent.
According to the director, the centre has introduced 10 professional short courses which include management of Technology and innovation, Energy Policies that involve Energy management and regulations this will help to get more professionals in energy regulations.
He noted that it has become necessary especially now that states have been granted power to have electricity regulatory agencies unlike before when electricity regulation was on the exclusive list of the Federal Government.
The don also explained that the centre has vocational professional courses for young school leavers on web design, cyber security, among others.
“All these professional and vocational short courses are affordable and will be completed within a short time as the centre has adequate equipment, modern laboratories, qualified and experienced lecturers to handle these courses,” he said.
The Director, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the 20 ACE Alliance in the country launched in Abuja on November 3, 2025, by the Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa, explained that the ACE Alliance is not just a Nigerian initiative but an African collaboration built on shared values of excellence and innovations.
“The achievements of ACE Alliance will significantly help to prepare our youths to lead Africa’s industrial and technological transformation as well as contribute immensely to the global economy,” he said.
According to the Chairman of ACE Alliance, the alliance has coordinated efforts to market what 20 centres of excellence in the country have produced in terms of marketing and commercializing their research work as well as engaged the government in their policies.
Ejiogu on behalf of the centre, expressed special appreciation to. Prof Simon Ortuanya, the Vice-chancellor of UNN for always given the centre special attention as well as recognizing the roles of the centre especially in ICT contributions in the university.
