The irrevocable commitment of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State to academic excellence, by emphasizing production-led and solution-driven research has continued to yield enormous dividends, as 11 of its academic staff and two departments as well as a Centre have secured research grants from international and local institutions and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to carry out impactful studies in different areas in 2021 and 2022.


Director, Centre for Climate Change and Development, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke
In the international front, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke of the Department of Political Science, secured a research grant worth Three Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand Euros (€372,000) from the French Development Agency, while Dr. Chinwe Ogunji of the Department of Educational Foundation was awarded a research fellowship grant from ACU worth Five Thousand pounds (£5,000) even as Dr. Evelyn Urama of the Department of English and Literary Studies also secured a virtual fellowship grant of One Thousand Euros (€1,000) from Leeds University, United Kingdom.

More so, Dr. Makuachukwu Ojide of the Department of Economics and Developmental Studies received a research grant of Six Thousand Eight Hundred and Seventy Five Euros (€6, 875.79) from Wageningen University, Netherlands. This is the balance of €13, 751.58 grant awarded to him in 2018, having received €6,875.79 in 2019.



Also, Engr. Dr. Chukwunonye Ezea of the Department of Civil Engineering secured a research grant of Twenty Thousand Pound (£20,000) from the Royal Academy of Engineering, United Kingdom, while Dr. Nwabueze Elom of the Chemistry Department secured a research grant from the Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom worth Four Thousand Pounds (£4,000).


Dr. Makuachukwu Ojide
On the domestic front, a team of researchers under the leadership of Prof. Onuegbu O. Ugwu of the Department of Civil Engineering, secured a TETFund research grant worth Twenty Five Million Naira (N25, 000, 000) through their work titled “Integrated Decision Support for Sustainable Infrastructure Assessment and Reporting in Nigeria” , and another team of researchers led by Dr. Peter Okoli of the Department of Civil Engineering, through their work titled “Development of Isotope Fingerprinting Protocol for Efficient Implementation of Polluter Pays Principle in the Management of Environmental Pollution Emanating from Lead Mining Activities in Nigeria” further secured a TETFund research grant in the sum of Thirty Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand Naira (N39, 862, 000). Similarly Mr. Ugochukwu C. Okolie of the Vocational and Technical Education, Faculty of Education received N200, 000, which was a balance of a N400, 000 research grant awarded to him 2019.



In addition, the Department of Chemical Engineering secured N2.2m grant from Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Nigeria and the Department of Civil Engineering had a grant of £5,000 from the Royal Academy of Engineering, United Kingdom, while the Centre for Climate Change and Development secured a $40,000 grant from Climateworks Foundation.


Dr. Chinwe Ogunji
It is instructive to note that these grants underscore the avowed commitment of the AE-FUNAI academic staff to the clarion call of the Vice-Chancellor for them to be utterly focused and dedicated to their responsibilities in order to achieve the University’s vision of becoming a world-class institution.



While speaking on the importance of his work, one of the recipients of the research grants, Dr. Nwabueze Elom, Acting Head, Department of Chemistry, noted that in Ebonyi state, artisanal lead(Pb) mining has been ongoing for over sixty years and as a result , both current and abandoned mining sites abounds in residential Ebonyi communities.


Dr. Nwabueze Elom
He also noted that he had researched extensively on environmental and health risks of Pb and other contaminants from numerous mining sites in Ebonyi communities, adding that his current research is tailored towards the determination of Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) of children and adults living near the mining sites.



Dr. Elom further stated that the result of his study would have significant societal impact because it will be used to enlighten the community dwellers on the risks of living close to mining sites and also educate governmental regulatory bodies on the necessity of formulating and enforcing environmental laws.