Enugu backs ‘hands on’ learning at ESUT with N1.6bn pledge

…as ESUT awards Peter Mbah, Austrian investor honorary doctorate degree

The Enugu State government has announced its commitment of the sum of N1.6 billion to the development of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).

This was made known by Peter Mbah, the governor of Enugu State during the 20th convocation ceremony of the university where he was awarded honorary doctoral degrees, alongside Bernd Bergmair, an Austrian investor.

Mbah speaking on his administration’s plans to establish a Centre for Experiential Learning at ESUT, said, “This hub will immerse professors and students in practical, hands-on learning to drive technological advancement.

“Beyond that, our administration has committed over N1.6 billion to infrastructure expansion at ESUT, alongside investments in laboratories, curriculum reforms and research initiatives that will elevate all state-owned tertiary institutions in Enugu.”

The governor received an honorary degree in Business Administration and Corporate Governance, while the ESUT governing council and senate conferred the award of honorary degree in Business Administration to Bergmair.
Aloysius –Michael Okolie, the vice-chancellor of ESUT speaking at the event said that the award to Bergmair was in recognition of his achievements as an outstanding independent investor, global actor and philanthropist.
“The university committee has continued to observe your concrete achievements in the areas of investment, industry and innovation. We have followed your achievements with great satisfaction and noted, inter alia, that most of your areas of investment and intervention align with the vision and ideals of the university’s founding fathers. It is in recognition of this that the university has elected to appreciate your laudable efforts.
“The institution resolved to award honorary degrees to distinguished personalities whose conduct, achievements and contributions to sustainable human capital development align with its vision as the foremost university of science and technology in Africa,” Okolie said.
According to him, ESUT, in line with its motto, ‘Technology for Service’, pursues its goal of creating, developing, nurturing, advancing, applying and deepening autonomous technological knowledge for dealing with the demands of contemporary society.

“As a technologically-driven citadel of learning, the institution aims at driving a revolution in technological re-invention of the black race and to instigate and stimulate rapid societal transmogrification of Nigeria in particular, and the black race in general,” the VC added.

The vice chancellor said the ESUT management had made giant strides since its inception, including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with COEFA to enhance the institution’s focus on capacity building, skills development and employability, “even as the university is pursuing an MOU with a United States provider for engineering automation.”
The governor in his speech applauded the remarkable achievements of 8,437 graduates, including nine with first class.

“It is an honour to be conferred with an honorary doctorate in Business Administration and Corporate Governance, a recognition I deeply cherish as a testament to our shared vision for educational transformation in Enugu.
“I can say that ESUT has regained its glory as a centre of excellence. From cutting-edge innovations like Cyprian Mgbachi’s cooking stove-cell phone battery charger to the accreditation of 97 percent of ESUT’s programmes, the progress is undeniable.

“To further encourage innovation, I am pleased to announce a N50 million grant to Prof Mgbachi to support the development of his patented innovation to commercial production,” he said.

For his part, the investor, a former Goldman, Sachs & Co banker, donated N52m to support Prof Mgbachi’s research in addition to having earlier commissioned, alongside Mbah, a N200m installation of a state-of-the-art 140KW solar PV system to generate up to 220 megawatt-hours annually of electricity, which provides 24/7 off-grid power to the Faculty of Management Sciences.

The solar PV system, installed by Greenage Technologies, energises both Blocks A and B of the Faculty of Management Sciences of the university. It also comprises Internet infrastructure, and one year of Internet access for the faculty.

According to Greenage Technologies, the PV system comprises of an array of 140 kW mono-crystalline solar PVs. It is designed to trap the most UV rays and is interconnected through the combiner box for maximum power tracking embedded in the synchronised inverters.
Greenage explained that the inverters, fitted with the charge controller and battery management systems, charge the synchronised lithium batteries as well as provide AC power output to energise offices, classrooms, auditoriums and other facilities in the university.

Bergmair said he was moved to support educational advancement in Nigeria, and ESUT in particular, through his longstanding friendship with Ike Chioke, the group managing director of Afrinvest, whom he met 30 years ago in New York when both were associates at Goldman Sachs.