By John Ituma (Ebonyi State Correspondent)
The authorities of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI) in Ebonyi State have appealed to the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the ecological and infrastructural difficulties being encountered by the University since its inception.
This plea was made on Friday by the Vice-Chancellor of the school, Professor Sunday Elom while delivering an address at its 6th Convocation ceremony held at the University in Ikwo.
Elom however lamented that the University has severe problems with staff quarters and student hostel accommodation which requires assistance from both the government, individuals, and corporate organizations intervention/partnership in providing.
The Vice-Chancellor revealed that though the institution has recorded some remarkable positive achievements over the years, there was a great need for support for it to accelerate physical development. Professor Elom pointed out that the University has specifically recorded giant progress in the areas of research and academics.
He also disclosed that AE-FUNAI has secured research grants of over three billion nairas in the year 2021 alone, adding that the University is building bridges of relationships with renowned global Universities for its overall improvement. "The world is a global village", Prof. Elom said, "and no University can survive in isolation".
He disclosed that AE-FUNAI has recorded advancement in the establishment of collaborations and partnerships with various renowned Universities and governments in Europe, particularly with the French government on post-graduate scholarship where 42 of their University's academics had benefited.
The Vice-Chancellor explained the nature of assistance the University expects from the federal government and other donor partners thus:
“As a young university struggling to justify the reason for its existence, we, therefore, solicit for more federal government’s intervention projects especially from the Ecological Funds Office and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to take care of many ecological and infrastructural challenges facing the university.
"We are also in need of private partnership in the areas of students’ hostel accommodation and staff quarters. It is our dream to build a campus where over 60% of our staff and students will live, interact, work and study on campus as a community, in order to enhance our global ranking", Professor Sunday Elom stated. NNL.
