Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has praised the rapid transformation of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), which is regaining its status as a center of excellence.
Speaking at the university’s 20th Convocation Ceremony held at Agbani, Mbah highlighted the significant progress the institution has made and the plans for further development.
During the ceremony, Governor Mbah was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration and Corporate Governance in recognition of his contributions to education and good governance.
He also announced his administration’s plans to establish a Centre for Experiential Learning at ESUT, aimed at fostering innovation among students and faculty.
In addition, Mbah disclosed that he had secured a N50 million grant for Professor Cyprian Mgbachi, a local inventor known for developing a cooking stove-powered cellphone battery charger, to further enhance his technology.
Mbah also pledged ongoing support for other innovative projects within the university.
The Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, announced that a total of 8,437 students had graduated with various degrees, including First Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, Master’s Degrees, and Doctorates. Nine graduates earned First Class honors.
The Vice Chancellor also emphasized that 97% of the university’s programs have been fully accredited, thanks to significant investments from Mbah’s administration in the education sector.
Governor Mbah remarked on the university’s commitment to technological advancement, noting the diverse array of products displayed at the exhibition pavilion, ranging from biotechnology to pharmacology.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to transforming higher education in the state by implementing a new policy that mandates Experiential Learning across all state-owned tertiary institutions in Enugu.
This policy will influence the planning, curriculum, and assessment frameworks at these institutions.
As part of the ongoing efforts to expand ESUT, Mbah announced that his administration had invested over N1.6 billion in infrastructural development to alleviate space constraints at the university’s Park Lane campus.
The governor also outlined several other initiatives, including funding for the renovation of key facilities at the College of Medicine, procurement of essential equipment for various health-related programs, and major interventions in the fields of nursing, pharmacy, and biomedical engineering.
In his address to the graduates, Mbah encouraged them to remain committed to excellence and to leverage technology in their careers, while maintaining strong connections with the university.
He emphasized that ESUT would continue to play a crucial role in supplying skilled professionals in areas critical to the state’s development, such as health, engineering, ICT, and agriculture.
At the convocation, the Governor was also joined by Austrian investor Mr. Bernd Bergmair, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration for his proven integrity and business achievements.
This marks the first time that ESUT has conferred an honorary doctorate on a foreign national.
The ceremony also celebrated the university’s best-performing students. Osita Tracy Ezinne from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences emerged as the overall best graduate with a CGPA of 4.88, followed by Chukwudebe Pearl Ewere and Odoeme Ogechi Eunice, who secured second and third positions, respectively.
In recognition of Professor Mgbachi’s groundbreaking invention, Mr. Bergmair contributed an additional N52 million to the N50 million already pledged by the state government, bringing the total support for the inventor to N102 million.
