The secret to success in leadership is for a man to be ready when his time comes. Sunday Oge Elom, a Professor of Medical Biochemistry is not an accidental Vice-Chancellor. He is a man that has been adequately and properly prepared for the position he presently occupies.

Accordingly, it was not a surprise, especially for those who know his enviable track records as a consummate academic and astute university administrator when the Governing Council appointed him the Vice-Chancellor of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, on Tuesday, 19th January, 2021.



On assumption of office as the 3rd substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University on 11th February, 2021, armed with three specific objectives of sustaining, consolidating and expanding on the achievements of the past administrations of the University, the Vice-Chancellor left no one in doubt that the institution which is regarded as one of the most serious public universities in Nigeria, is headed for a fresh beginning.

As a through-bred academic that is utterly committed to the core values of academic excellence and integrity, he immediately hit the ground running. Consequently, in the last one year of his administration, he did not only build on the foundations laid by his predecessors, he also led change in different aspects of the University.

University has three core mandates – teaching, research and community service. In these three key areas, the University faired modestly well in the past one year. Firstly, in the area of teaching, the Vice-Chancellor on assumption of office had vowed as part of his 16-point agenda, to ensure the accreditation of all the programmes of the University. Thus, in the past one year of his administration, the Nigeria Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) accredited the MBBSS programme of the University which led to the commencement of Clinical training for the pioneer students of the College of Medical Sciences. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) also accredited the Accounting programme of the University. More so, 6 programmes of the University- Computer Science, Medicine and Surgery, Geology, Religious Studies, Educational Administration, and Guidance and Counseling were also reaccredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC). In addition to these, 7 more programmes – Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Statistics, Biotechnology, Physiology, Agricultural Education, and Fisheries and Aquaculture were presented to the NUC for accreditation in December 2021. Furthermore, 3 engineering programmes- Chemical, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering were presented to the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) for professional accreditation in January 2022. Results of these accreditation exercises are being expected in few months.

The academic calendar was also maintained which ensured that students were not only graduated on schedule but also mobilized for the National Youth Service Corps programme. The 6th convocation ceremony of the University was also held on Tuesday, 14th December, 2021 where 916 graduates were turned-out with their academic certificates issued to them on the same day. This is unprecedented in the history of public universities in Nigeria. We also want to place on record, that AE-FUNAI was the only public university in Nigeria that mobilized students for NYSC programme in the 2019/2020 academic session (Batch B, July/August, 2021)

Also, in the area of teaching the University was ranked 32 out of 167 universities in Nigeria on the quality of scientists in 2021 by a leading global ranking body based in Turkey, AD Scientific Index. In the July 2021 edition of Webometric World University ranking, the University ranked 50 out of 279 tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Also in the African Continent, the institution was ranked 279 out of 1,952 Institutions. Globally AE-FUNAI ranked 6,006 out of 11,987 institutions in 2021. This is far beyond the performances of old universities.


Commissioning of an Intellectual Property and Knowledge Transfer Office (IPTTO) in the University by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Abuja, to enhance research, innovation and development in the University and Southeast region
Secondly, in the area of research and innovation, the University in the last one year of Prof. Elom’s administration acquitted itself creditably well with many of its staff, students and departments winning awards in research and innovations.

Ten academic staff from various faculties obtained research grants locally and internationally amounting to a total of 3.4BN; Centre for Climate Change and Development secured a $4,000 grant from Climate Works Foundation; Department of Chemical Engineering secured N2.2m grant from Raw Materials Research and Development Council and Department of Civil Engineering had a grant of £5,000 from the Royal Academy of Engineering, United Kingdom.

Engr. Dr. Chizoo Esonye of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology emerged 2nd in the 2021 National Academic Publication Competition for academic staff of Faculties of Engineering and Technology in Nigeria and Mr. Ogbonnia Ukie, a lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts, won the 1st prize at the European Union/United Nations- sponsored National Arts competition


Boniface Chidiebube Godspower of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering (L) presenting his innovation, an “Automated Water Level Regulator Using GSM” to the VC, Prof. Sunday Elom in his office. Boniface came second in the CODET innovation competition for final year Engineering students in the Southeast/South-south regions of the country.
Our students were not left out as three students of Biotechnology, Nwaire ThankGod Kelechi, Bosah Raphael Obiora and Eluh Maximilian Mathew won the 2021 Biotechnology Society of Nigeria 33rd Annual International Conference Quiz Competition. Also, Boniface Chidiebube Godspower of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering came second in the CODET innovation competition for final year Engineering and Technology students in the Southeast/South-south regions of the country through his “Automated Water Level Regulator Using GSM” while Ekpe Francis Ayuk and Okafor Chukwudi Amos of the Department of Mechanical Engineering took 3rd position at the 2021 National Content Science and Technology Innovation Challenge held in Yenaogua, Beyelsa state. And the Department of Theatre Arts’ feature film “Tara’s Diary” won the best musical film award at the 18th Abuja International Film Festival, 2021.

More importantly, still in 2021, the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Abuja, precisely on 6th October, 2021, inaugurated an Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office (IPTTO) in the University to enhance research, development and innovation. The IPTTO is the first of its kind in the history of universities in the southeast zone of the Nigeria.

Thirdly, in the area of community service and engagement, the university partnered many international, national and local organizations. These various engagement activities are placing the University in the front burner of national discourse.

The Vice-Chancellor on 16th December, 2021 signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with Campus France for the continuation of the postgraduate scholarship partnership between the university and French government, after the expiration of the first MoU in August 2021. The partnership is the first of its kind in the history of the Nigerian University system, and through it about 42 young academics of the University travelled to France for postgraduate studies on scholarship.


VC, Prof. Sunday Oge Elom (seated) flanked by some principal officers and some senior staff during the signing of a new MoU on Postgraduate Scholarship partnership between the University and French Government through Campus France


AE-FUNAI is one of the 6 universities in Nigeria selected to collaborate with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) on Blended Teaching and Learning. Through this partnership, the University is building the necessary capacities to ensure smooth take-off and operations of blended teaching and learning in its academic activities.



Also, the University established a bi-institutional collaboration with Tub University, Germany for the Erasmus + programme. Through the collaboration two of our lecturers travelled to Germany in November 2021 on the Erasmus + mobility programme. The partnership has also attracted Engineering equipment to the University.

In spite of these worthy international engagements, it is also instructive to note that the Vice-Chancellor had on assumption of office embarked on shuttle diplomacy to all strategic stakeholders within the university and its host community to ensure industrial harmony and peaceful coexistence which are needed for seamless academic activities on campus. This paid off as the various university-based staff unions – ASUU, SSANU, NAAT and NASU were on the same page with the Management even as the University also enjoyed cordial relationship with its host community which engendered peace and security for staff and students within and outside the campus.

More importantly, the University through some of its departments and directorates engaged in community service activities in some villages within and outside its host community. The Centre for Entrepreneurship and Employability (CEE) trained 50 wives of military personnel of Nkwagu cantonment on production of household materials. The Centre for Adaptive Research and Fabrication carried out STEM Awareness Campaign at Community Girls’ Secondary School, Ohankwu. In addition, the Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD) trained some secondary school teachers and students in Ebonyi State on climate issues.


Newly completed Library complex
Apart from the obvious achievements made in the core mandates of teaching, research and community service, the University in the last one year also made some progress in the area of infrastructural development. The new university library which was at foundation level when the Vice-Chancellor took over the reins of power has been completed. The University liaison office at Abuja was renovated and made functional while the Clinical students’ hostel at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki is nearing completion. Two intra campus roads – leading to College of Medical Sciences and Faculty of Law are presently being asphalted. When completed, incidence of dust and mud which are common sights on the roads during dry and rainy seasons will be a thing of the past. Many hand-driven water boreholes were also sunk at strategic places within the University to provide alternative sources of water to students. More so, in order to provide banking facilities/services to staff and students and members of the University’s host community, the University in conjunction with Zenith Bank Plc established Agency bank. Before then, there was no functional bank in the University and its host community.


Ongoing construction of the two intra campus roads leading to the College of Medical Sciences and Faculty of Law
In concluding, leadership is not a position one occupies or the seat one sits. It is rather the capacity to engineer progress. In the last one year, Prof. Elom has engineered progress in many fronts, though a lot still need to be done. Nevertheless, with his guiding principle of doing everything as “…unto the Lord”, we can make bold to say that Project AE-FUNAI is on the right track to greater heights.

Elom Iyke Ubochi, MinstPM

Head, Public Relations & Information/University PRO

AE-FUNAI