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From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has endowed a N30,000,000 Professional Chair on the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) for the development and advancement of higher education in the country.
Two other universities, the University of Lagos and the Modibbo Adama University, Adamawa state also benefitted from the endowment.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Igwe, the Registrar, Dr. Ngozi Nebedum, and the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Emenike Ejiogu represented the University of Nigeria at the endowment ceremony, which took place at the commission’s head office, at Maitama, Abuja.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida in his address said that the endowment was a reflection of the commission’s commitment to the development and advancement of higher education in Nigeria.
He said that since 2019, NCC has endowed seven Federal universities in Nigeria with Professorial Chairs because it believes in the academia to make an impact through research and innovation.
He said that the University of Nigeria and the other two universities were selected for the endowment because they exemplify commitment to academic excellence and have distinguished themselves in their respective domains.
“They have demonstrated resilience, innovation, and dedication to advancing knowledge, making them ideal partners in our pursuit of intellectual and social transformation,” he said.
Maida expressed optimism that the endowment of the Professorial Chairs would inspire a surge in research that will provide solutions to pressing challenges in the telecommunication industry.
“We are confident that the endowed Chairs at the University of Lagos, Modibbo Adama University, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka will inspire a new wave of research excellence, resulting in discoveries, policy formulation, and advanced skill development,” he said.
In his response, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Prof Igwe thanked the NCC for the foresight in instituting the endowment project, which he said aligns with the commission’s mandate of linking the academia with the communication industry.
Prof. Igwe said that the endowment will serve as a timely intervention for the University of Nigeria to enhance its result-oriented research and innovation culture with a focus on practical communication technologies for social service delivery and economic empowerment.
The Vice-Chancellor said that the University has adequate multi-disciplinary resources in engineering, physical and social sciences and a good history of successful endowments and hosting of centres of excellence.
“I can assure you that the University of Nigeria has the institutional capacity to deliver on the terms and purpose of the endowment.
“I commend NCC for their unwavering commitment to the development and advancement of higher education in Nigeria, as well as their foresight to initiate the endowment scheme in fulfillment of its mandate by linking the academia to the communication industry, moreso, that the telecommunication sector in Nigeria is dominated by foreign companies and imported products.
“The endowment will serve as a timely tool for UNN to further enhance its robust result-oriented research and innovation culture,” he said.
The VC assured that UNN would deliver on the project as required by NCC and that the endowment would be sustained beyond the NUC funding.
In a remark, Prof. Ejiogu who is also the Director, Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACE-SPED) UNN, commended the VC for providing the enabling environment for the achievement, stressing that the faculty was ready for the implications of research activities.
“I am grateful to the Vice-chancellor for, as always, providing the enabling environment for this achievement.
“The staff and students of the faculty of engineering are ready for the implementation of the research activities that come with the professorial chair endowment,” he said.
