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By Elom Iyke Ubochi
As Professor Sunday Oge Elom marks his 5th year milestone as the Vice-Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ebonyi State (AE-FUNAI), it is fitting to reflect on the remarkable journey of the university under his leadership. The theme “Catalogue of Divine Ordinations” captures the essence of the divine guidance, wisdom and support that underscored his tenure, especially in 2025 when he faced numerous challenges; yet through divine ordinations and orchestrations, he overcame all the obstacles and health set-back, as well as series of betrayals and brazen disloyalty from some friends, colleagues and allies, and was still able to achieve the specific goals he had set-out for his final year in office.
This scorecard therefore highlights the key areas of Professor Elom’s accomplishments in 2025, showcasing the university’s growth and development in academics, research, infrastructure, community engagement, and internationalization, among others, and transforming AE-FUNAI into a hub of academic excellence. Some of the areas of emphasis include:
Visionary Leadership
Under Professor Elom’s leadership, AE-FUNAI witnessed significant growth and development. His vision for the university inspired a community of scholars, researchers, staff and students to strive for excellence. And this was brought to the fore in 2025 in many ways. The culture of seriousness and standardized academic calendar were maintained. As a consequence, the university graduated 2,559 students on schedule and equally mobilized them for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme in 2025. The inaugural lecture series was continued, leading to the holding of the 5th and 6th inaugural lectures of the university delivered by Friday Nwalo Nweke and Moses Aloh, Professors of Nutritional Biochemistry & Biotechnology and Medical Microbiology and Immunology respectively, with the themes: “Biorevolution: Transforming Nutrition Security and Conquering Health Challenges” and “Man and Microbes: A Never-ending War.”
More importantly, his visionary leadership was categorically demonstrated in the seamless and transparent selection process that heralded the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor for the university on Saturday, 20th December, 2025. Unlike the acrimony that often characterize the selection of a new Vice-Chancellor in many public universities in Nigeria, which sometimes lead to the intervention of the Federal Government to restore peace on campus, Professor Elom worked cordially with all critical stakeholders and provided a conducive atmosphere for Governing Council to discharge their responsibility of appointing a new Vice-Chancellor for the university without fear, bias and intimidation.
Accreditation of Academic Programmes
AE-FUNAI, under Professor Elom’s leadership, made significant strides in the accreditation of academic programmes, earning recognition from relevant government and professional bodies. The university successfully secured accreditation for various programmes, including those in the College of Medical Sciences, Education, Environmental Sciences, Management Sciences, Social Sciences, among others. In fact, in 2025, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) granted the university final accreditation for its MBBS programme leading to the graduation and oath taking of 42 pioneer medical students on Tuesday, 3rd February, 2026, while the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) also visited the university for the purpose accrediting the Architecture programme.
In like manner, the National Universities Commission (NUC) accredited 10 academic programmes of the university which included Business Administration, Criminology & Security Studies, Public Administration, Mechanical Education, Building Technology Education and Woodwork Technology Education. Others were Electrical Electronics Education, Automobile, Computer Science Education and Economics Education.
It is also worthy to note that the university had earlier in April, 2025 secured full accreditation for the following programmes: Banking and Finance, Agriculture, Theatre Arts, Business Education, Education Biology, Education Chemistry and Education English & Literary Studies. Others were Education Mathematics, Education Physics, Physical and Health Education and Geology while the only programme with interim accreditation status was Agribusiness and Management.
This achievement is a testament to the university’s commitment to maintaining high academic standards and providing quality education to its students. The accreditation has also enhanced the university’s reputation, attracting students and faculty from across Nigeria and beyond. As a result, AE-FUNAI has solidified its position as one of the fastest-growing public institutions in Nigeria, with a strong focus on academic excellence and quality assurance.
Academic Excellence
The university recorded impressive academic achievements, with increased research output, improved student performance, and enhanced academic programmes. Faculties were restructured, and new departments were also established to meet emerging needs. Specifically, 7 new academic programmes were established under the Department of Technical Education, Faculty of Education. Other highlights include:
a. The University was ranked 3rd in the 2025 edition of all Nigerian Youths Debating and Public Speaking Championship held at the University of Benin, Edo State from 4th to 8th April, 2025. The All Nigerian Youths Debating Championship is one of the most prestigious platforms for young debaters and public speakers in the Country. The University was represented at the event by a 6-man team made up of Nwele Stanley Chiemerie (Law),Uchenna Chinwendu Lydia (Agribusiness and Management),Ogbonna Godsfavour (Physiology), Ngene Comfort (Psychology), Uche Faith (Law) and Chukwuba Vera (Law)
b.Four students of the university qualified for the World Universities’ Games held in Germany in July 2025. The students achieved the feat at the World Universities’ Games Qualifiers held at the University of Jos, Plateau State, from 6th to 12th April, 2025, to select the representatives of Nigeria for the games in Germany. Itumo Chinenye Itumo qualified for the 1, 500 meters event in a time of 5:23:43; Orjiakor Chiancemelum in 400 meters qualified in a time of 53:71; and Okwuosa Udonna Mandela ran a time of 11:32 in 100 meters while Igwenome Faithful Joseph qualified for Javelin with a throw of 38:07m.
c.Ije Hilary Chinedu, an alumnus of the university was one of the 200 outstanding young Nigerians honoured by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2025 for distinguishing themselves during their national service programme. His selection for the President’s NYSC Honours Award followed a rigorous process by the National Selection Committee, which identified him as an exemplary corps member who combined leadership, community service, and innovation to make lasting impacts.
d.The pioneer students of the Faculty of Law of the university were admitted into the Nigerian Law School for their Bar Part-2 programme in 2025. The 18 pioneer students were admitted to study Law in the university in the 2019/2020 academic session.
e.Two students of the university won the Get-Creative competition under the Wealth Capacity Project sponsored by the Embassy of France in Nigeria. The students are Hyacinth Ebenyi and Chioma Nwigwe, both 400 level MBBS and Biotechnology students respectively.
f.Eight students of the Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture were honoured by some organizations for their extraordinary performances and exemplary behaviour during the Students Industrial Work Experience (SIWES) programme. The students were assigned to commercial farms, agro-industries, agro research institutes and establishments such as VIKA FARM LTD in Akwa Ibom state, JERMA FARM in Ebonyi State, SONGHAI FARM in Delta State, and the Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike in Abia State. The students are: Ogbonnaya Nneka Dorothy, Elechi F., Ikechukwu Blessing, Egwudike Amarachi Judith, and Ogbonna Nzubechi Marvelous. Others are, Okafor Victor Chibuike; Agu Chukwunwekene Stephen, and Mary Dike.
g. Faculty of Law hosted the maiden edition of a Moot Court Competition instituted in honour and recognition of the contributions of the Presiding Justice of the Court Appeal, Calabar Division, Hon. Justice Uche Onyemenam, to jurisprudence in the Nigerian justice system. The competition which was a first of its kind in the history of the university saw the different students’ law chambers in the Faculty of Law of the university locking horns, where they exhibited lots of intelligence, oratory, critical thinking, logical reasoning and their understanding of case laws.
Infrastructural Development
AE-FUNAI witnessed remarkable infrastructural growth in 2025, including state-of-the-art lecture halls, hostels, laboratories and administrative block completed for the Clinical Students, College of Medical Sciences at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, and a Faculty office building for the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, while work are at advanced stages for the Faculties of Management and Social Sciences buildings and two hostel blocks. The university’s physical landscape has been transformed, providing a conducive environment for learning and research for staff and students. For most of these physical projects, Professor Elom commends the Federal Government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). The Fund contributed in no small measure to the physical development witnessed in the university during his stewardship a Vice-Chancellor.
More importantly, the Rural Electrification Agency, Abuja, in 2025 promised to upgrade and expand the hybrid solar power plant established in the university by the federal government of Nigeria in 2019, to provide sustainable, uninterrupted and reliable green energy to the university community as part of government’s energizing education programme. The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is a Federal Government Agency responsible for implementing policies and programmes to expand access to electricity in rural areas of Nigeria.
The Managing Director of the agency, Abba Abubakar Aliyu commended the University under the leadership of Professor Elom for successfully managing and sustaining the Solar Hybrid Plant since its inauguration by the Federal Government on 2nd August, 2019. Given the successful management of the power plant, he stated, that the Agency will send a team to the university to study how it was able to successfully run the plant in the past 6 years, to serve as a model of emulation for other institutions in Nigeria. He further assured that the Agency has plans of changing the batteries of the solar plant as it has the life span of eight (8) years, and are currently running for six (6) years, adding that the essence of upgrading the solar plant was to match the current expansion activities of the University.
In addition, on Friday, 24th July, 2025, Professor Elom, inaugurated two new residential flats constructed and handed over to the institution by the AE-FUNAI Parents’ Forum to enhance staff welfare. The ceremony held at the university staff quarters, marked a milestone in the university’s commitment to providing quality housing for the staff of the University.
Research and Innovation
Research has been a key focus area, with the university promoting interdisciplinary research collaborations. Faculty members secured grants and published research papers in reputable journals leading to more global visibility for the university, while the citations of the academic publications of its academics gained global tractions. Some of the highlights in 2025 include:
a.Nine academic staff of the university were ranked among 2025 top 2% scientists in the world by Stanford University and Elsevier. The top 2% scientists is a prestigious list that highlights the world’s leading scientists who have made a remarkable impact in their different fields through their citations. The staff ranked by the renowned global body include: Ukwaja Kingsley Nnanna, Okereke Chukwumerije, Eleazu Chinedum O., Erejuwa Omotayo Owomofoyon, and Okolie Ugochukwu Chinonso. Others were: Anadebe Valentine Chikaodili, Jayeoye Titilope John, Onyeneke Robert Ugochukwu and Fameruwa Ademola C.
b. A team of six students of the university invented an IoT Automation machine- an AI-powered crop disease detection application, designed to measure real-time soil moisture and weather condition for farmers geared towards improving food value chain. Described as ‘’the Smart Irrigation and Market Linkage System’’, the AI-powered crop disease detection App uses artificial intelligence and image recognition to identify signs of disease on crops by analyzing photos taken with a camera. The team of young inventors is comprised of Usulor Clinton Nnamdi, M.Sc. Agribusiness (Food value Chain Management), Adenola Benjamin Aduramigba (Mechatronics Engineering), Chukwuemeka Walter (Mechatronics Engineering), Eluu-Vincent Iheomadiri (Human Nutrition and Dietetics), Kekung Engels Ojong (Mechatronics Engineering) and Igwe Ifeanyi Elisha (M.Sc. Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Development).
c.Under Professor Elom, AE-FUNAI became one of the principal partners and beneficiary of MIGRATURITY, a new European Union-funded Initiative designed to strengthen the capacity of higher educational institutions in Sub-Saharan African to tackle migration and security challenges. The 4-year programme titled “Building Capacity of Sub-Saharan Africa HEIs in Addressing Migrations and Security Issues,” which runs from 2025 to 2028 brings together institutions from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Italy, Serbia, and Turkey, aims to enhance good governance, peace, and the rule of law by equipping universities with the tools needed to manage migration and related security issues in an inclusive and gender-sensitive manner. The university’s share of the grant is worth 39, 040 Euros, and as a beneficiary institution, AE-FUNAI will participate across all seven work packages, which span preparation, gender analysis, social inclusion, communication and dissemination, and full project administration.
d.Two academic staff of the university – Professor Robert Onyeneke and Dr. Clement Famurewa were ranked among top 500 authors in Nigeria by scholarly output in Scopus over a 4-year period (2022–2026). In the compilation by Scival Elsevier, Famurewa ranked 284 with 43 scholarly output and 625 citations while Onyeneke ranked 370 with 39 scholarly ouput 437 citations.
e.Professor Robert Onyeneke served as one of the review editors of the Global Environment Outlook, 7th Edition: A Future We Choose, a product of 287 multi-disciplinary scientists from 82 countries. It is the most comprehensive scientific assessment of the global environment ever carried out. It is also a publication of the United Nations Environment Programme.
f. The university secured the 3rd position at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria Regional Quiz Competition for South-East Region held on Monday, 23rd June 2025. The virtual quiz competition which brought together undergraduate students of the Faculties of Management Sciences, Social Sciences and other related programmes across universities in the Southeast of Nigeria saw the students of AE-FUNAI coming third in the exhilarating intellectual contest.
Internationalization/Global Ranking
Professor Elom fostered international partnerships, enabling student and staff exchanges and joint research projects. Under him, AE-FUNAI’s global visibility increased.
Consequently, the university was ranked among top 25 universities in Nigeria by the 2025 Times Higher Education World University rankings. In a release by the renowned body, AE-FUNAI was ranked 24 in Nigeria among 44 universities that were ranked in the country. The university was also among the top 5 universities ranked in the Southeast Nigeria by the global body.
Staff Development & Welfare
Professor Elom supported staff training and development, enabling faculty and staff to acquire further degrees, enhance their skills and pursue career advancement opportunities. He also liberalized and ensured transparency in the disbursement of funds meant for TETFund conferences and Academic staff development, with many staff benefiting from the training. Specifically, in 2025, 317 non teaching staff benefitted from TETFund-sponsored local conferences while 142 and 20 teaching staff benefitted from local and international conferences respectively. In addition, 34 academic staff pursuing their PhDs benefitted from the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS),
In 2025, Professor Elom as Vice-Chancellor maintained its yearly culture of recommending the promotion of all qualified staff to the University Governing Council for approval. Specifically, 420 senior and 124 junior non teaching staff were promoted while 108 teaching staff were also promoted. These promotions were carried out without bias, but basically on merit.
The University also approved the upgrade of 101 junior staff, proper placement of 81 junior staff and conversion of 2 junior staff as well as a change in designation of 5 others.
In addition, at the level of senior non teaching staff, the university approved the change in designation of 40 staff, change in designation/proper placement of 33 staff, change in designation/upgrade of 75 staff and conversion of 10 others. These were unprecedented in the history of the university.
In concluding, Professor Elom’s 5th year as Vice-Chancellor of AE-FUNAI was a period of remarkable growth, transformation, and achievement. In fact, the summary of his key areas of accomplishments in 2025 includes academic excellence, infrastructure development, research and innovation, community engagement, and internationalization among others. As we look to the future, AE-FUNAI is poised to build on these successes, address emerging challenges, and continue to be a leading institution in Nigeria and beyond. The “Divine Ordinations” that guided the university under Professor Sunday Oge Elom will undoubtedly continue to inspire and shape its future trajectory, solidifying its position as a hub of academic excellence, and one of the serious public universities in Nigeria.
Elom Iyke Ubochi is the Public Relations Officer of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State
