• Even as they also came 3rd in Quiz Competition
Students of the department of Biology/Microbiology/Biotechnology, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, recently participated in the 31st Annual International Conference of Biotechnology Society of Nigeria, where they emerged overall winner of the association’s debate competition ahead of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki and Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu who came second and third respectively.
The conference which was held at the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, brought together scholars and students of Biotechnology from all the universities in the country, where they shared ideas, compared notes and highlighted the importance of Biotechnology in the growth and development of the country.

Effectively espousing the topic, “Would Nigeria Ever Catch-up with Modern Biotechnology”, Madu Francisca, a 300 level student of the university, emerged the overall best speaker of the competition. Madu was the lead speaker in a team that also had Ibe Timoty and Eluh Maximillian.
Meanwhile the university’s contingent to the annual event also participated in the quiz competition which was organized to test the functional knowledge and intellectual capacities of students of various universities concerning their course of study. After rigorous preliminary contests, five (5) universities qualified to participate in the grand finale, where AE-FUNAI came third while Modibbo Adamawa University of Technology, Yola and Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, EnuguState came second and first respectively. The university’s team was comprised of Banjo Maria Bukola, Eguttan Ambrose and Chukwu Patience.

Speaking at the end of the conference, Dr. Nwagu Kingsley Ekene, a lecturer at the Department of Biology/Microbiology/Biotechnology of the university, noted that the students’ extra-ordinary performance at the conference was fuelled by the effort of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, geared towards supporting research at the university, adding that the excellent learning environment being enjoyed by students was also a notable factor in their success story.


Nwagu who coordinated the students for the outing, maintained that the university was blessed to have a Management that was solely interested in grooming students to acquire functional knowledge and sellable and life-changing skills needed to be globally competitive, stressing that they have been challenged to be the best in their field because of the exemplary leadership of the Vice-Chancellor.
He said: “Serious academic activities by both staff and students, motivated by our dauntless Vice-Chancellor are the bedrock of our success.”