Enugu – The Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu on Thursday offered to partner with industrialists and stakeholders for research and entrepreneurship development.
Its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Christian Anieke, announced the offer in Enugu at the ‘Town and Gown Assembly’ organised by the institution with the theme ‘Business Matters and Areas of Research’.
Anieke described the ‘Town’ as the people outside the university while the ‘Gown’ represented the university, explaining that the partnership would enable them to exchange ideas on enterprise.
“It is the meeting of industrialists, business men and women and the university itself as we live in the context of people who will receive the students from the institution after graduation.
“It is left for us to listen to them and know what they want from the university,” he said.
The vice chancellor said that the university had noted what the society needed and the challenges they faced and would work toward overcoming them to make the students relevant after leaving the school.
Earlier, the representative of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, Col. Bi Alaya, said that the army was committed to partnering with the university on research as most of the equipment and weapons they used were imported.
“If the army can partner with Nigerian universities on research and development, the equipment we used can be produced locally,” he said.
Alaya said the army would partner with the institution on areas like telecommunication, data management, system research and gadgets as well as field training.
“It is saddening that our uniforms and boots are imported,” he said.
In his message, the Enugu State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Fidel Ayogu, urged the university to grab the opportunity of the climate change and other natural resources to better the society.
Ayogu, represented by a director in the ministry, Mr Nnamdi Arum, called on the students to use waste products to create cheap wealth.
An official of the Umuchinemere Microfinance Bank, Mrs Nnenna Ekete, pledged the bank’s support for the university in areas of industrial training and loan advance to parents for payment of school fees.
Ekete regretted that the institution sacked some of its staff members after they were given loans by the bank, making it to lose huge amounts of money.
She pleaded with the university to ensure job security for its staff members.
The university’s Director of Entrepreneurship, Prof. Emmanuel Adinna, attributed the poor practical research in the institution to lack of sponsorship.
He lamented that the herbal hand sanitiser produced by the university was yet to be marketed due to lack of funds to commercialise its production.
“We need sponsors who will help us get NAFDAC approval and funds to produce in commercial quantities,” he said.
A student, Miss Cynthia Nnadi, expressed joy with the programme and pledged to put all she learnt to practice. (NAN)
