English Department Seeks Classroom Expansion, Solar Project Commissioning During Visit to UNIZIK VC
The leadership of the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, on Monday, 29 June 2026, paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Anyaehie, to express appreciation for his support to the department and present key requests aimed at enhancing teaching and learning.
Leading the delegation, the Head of Department, Prof. Chinwe Ezeifeka, thanked the Vice-Chancellor for his continued support, explaining that the visit focused on three major issues.
She disclosed that the department had completed a solar power project using funds generated from its conference and invited the Vice-Chancellor to officially commission the facility. According to her, the department had originally planned to use the conference proceeds to construct additional classrooms to cater to its growing student population. However, the funds were redirected to the solar project following the Vice-Chancellor’s assurance that the university would support the provision of additional classroom spaces.
Prof. Ezeifeka further appealed for approval to convert vacant spaces around the Old Auditorium and the former Faculty of Education building into lecture classrooms. She noted that the department had already submitted a formal request and expressed confidence that the proposed conversion would help address the persistent shortage of classrooms.
The Head of Department also drew the Vice-Chancellor’s attention to an endowment established to reward the department’s best graduating students, lamenting that the fund had become inaccessible. She appealed for the Vice-Chancellor’s intervention to revive the endowment for the benefit of deserving students.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, assured the delegation that the university management would give careful consideration to all the requests presented.
He observed that available spaces should not remain unused when there was a clear shortage of classrooms and directed the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) to assess the request for the proposed classroom conversion.
The Vice-Chancellor also pledged the university’s support for the commissioning of the department’s solar power project and Internet Wi-Fi facility, describing both initiatives as commendable contributions to the institution’s development.
Speaking on the university’s infrastructure challenges, Prof. Anyaehie noted that accommodating the institution’s expanding academic programmes remained a priority. He disclosed that the planned relocation of the JUPEB programme to the Mbaukwu campus by September would free up additional classroom spaces.
He further revealed that the contract for the renovation of the University’s Multi-Purpose Hall (MPH) had already been advertised, expressing optimism that the completion of ongoing infrastructure projects would significantly ease the institution’s space constraints.
On the university’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development, the Vice-Chancellor announced that the institution had secured a two-gigabit Internet bandwidth allocation through the Ugwuoke ICT initiative. He explained that management’s next priority would be to extend the enhanced Internet connectivity across all the university’s campuses.
He encouraged the department to continue channelling any additional concerns through the appropriate administrative processes, assuring members of management’s commitment to addressing genuine issues promptly.
Other members of the delegation included Prof. Odochi Akujiobi, Prof. Chike Okoye, and Rev. Sr. Prof. Adaoma Igwedibia.