AIRACC PROJECT TEAM VISITS AE-FUNAI
Assess the feasibility of having a Fabrication Laboratory in the University
On February 24th and 25th, 2020, Maria-Laetitia Ceccaldi of the French Embassy in Nigeria and the Project Coordinator of AIRACC, French acronym for Research and Innovation in Adapting to Climate Change, and Antonin Devillers, a French Consultant, visited Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Nigeria, on a field mission to assess the potential/ possibility of building a digital fabrication laboratory at AE-FUNAI.


VC, Prof Chinedum Nwajiuba addressing the guests


VC, Prof Chinedum Nwajiuba addressing the guests

While introducing the guests, the AE-FUNAI-AIRACC Project Team Lead and Head of Department of Agriculture, AE-FUNAI, Dr. Robert Onyeneke, who led the team on courtesy visit to the Vice- Chancellor, Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba, revealed that AE-FUNAI is one of the seven Nigerian Universities participating in the Embassy of France (in Nigeria) funded AIRACC project. He stated that the aim of the project is to create the right environment for starting research collaboration between a few institutions, focusing on adaptation to climate change, and that the project specifically targets a new generation of scientists from collaborating institutions.


DVC, Academic, Prof Elom Presenting kolanut to the University Guests


Dr. Robert Onyeneke introducing the team

Dr. Onyeneke further said that the collaboration involves 5 early career researchers per institution drawn from different disciplines related to climate change, giving rise to 35 young scholars and that the project consists of three components; kick starting collaboration, which seeks to build capacity of young scholars in collaborative research, encourage short exchange of staff between France and Nigeria on project basis and federate cross-universities teams. Whereas the second, Encouraging Innovation; seeks to build capacity in innovation process and project management, finance best three projects, build a creativity-oriented environment (innovation centers and fac/fab labs) and add values to projects; the third is basically about Project Management.


Marie-Laetitia Ceccaldi (Project Coordinator) Antonin Devillers (Consultant) at the event

The AE-FUNAI-AIRACC project team lead enthused that the project started in April 2019 and has achieved significant milestone. He pointed out that AIRACC sponsored some Nigerian young scholars to participate in Smart Energy Summer School at the University of Grenoble, France for a period six weeks (June to July, 2019). He further said the project approved three proposals from three different teams of young Nigerian scholars drawn from participating Universities for funding and two AE-FUNAI scholars, Mr Chukwuemeka Emenekwe and Mr. Emmanuel Etika, were members of the teams whose proposals were selected for funding and noted that the two AE-FUNAI academics would develop weather index based reference value for soybean and maize and also write a programme for designing an energy mix system, with the least carbon footprint.

Prof. Sunday Elom, DVC, Academic, who received the guests on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, told them that the University is ready to co-operate with them in order to achieve maximum results and wished them fruitful stay, adding that the University would provide everything needed to make sure their assignment in the University was successful.

Speaking at the event, Prof. Nnnenna Nwosu Nworu reiterated that AIRACC Project Coordinator, Marie –Laetitia Ceccaldi and Anton Devillers, Consultant were on a field mission to the young but most serious public University in Nigeria noting that the University has a long standing relationship with the Embassy and Government of France and that currently AE-FUNAI has 41 staff studying in France.


Prof Nnenna Nwosu Nworuh speaking during the event


University Guest at the Physics Laboratory

The team moved on to visit some Departments in the University, including Center for Climate Change and Development where Mrs, Ejike Alieji Adaeze took them to the meteorology station to see the available meteorological instruments and need for improvement. The team also visited the Faculty of Agriculture Laboratory, Physics/Geology /Geophysics Lab, Biology lab, Civil Engineering Lab, Chemical Engineering Lab, Mechatronics Lab, Electrical and Electronics Engineering Lab, Biology Lab and Chemistry/ Bio- Chemistry Lab, and the University Solar Plant.


In their exit remarks at the Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room, where VC, Prof. Nwajiuba received them in person, the team thanked him for making available all that was needed for the outing to be a success and further said they were impressed so far with the giant strides of the Nwajiuba administration as VC of the fast growing University.

In his response, Prof Nwajiuba made bold to state that the University has strong relationship with the French Government through the help of Prof. Nnenna Nwosu-Nworu, urging all lecturers of the University to make research and training of students for the future, their priority, stressing that future generation should be better than the former. Prof. Nwajiuba noted that AE-FUNAI is a serious University and students of the University are willing to learn as he thanked his guests for coming and wished them well.


The team at the Crop Science Laboratory


Guest and some school officials at the Mechatronic Lab

The Team at AE-FUNAI/IMAPS 3D Research Center with the Coordinator Chiaka Nnodi offering explanations


Vc in group photograph with principal officers and University guests