UNIZIK Engineering Faculty Champions Innovation, Agripreneurship and Industry Partnerships for Sustainable Economic Growth
The Faculty of Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, on Thursday, July 23, 2026, hosted its 2026 Faculty Lecture Series with the theme, “Engineering Pathways to Economic Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Agripreneurship, Oil and Gas; and Beyond,” bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, traditional rulers, students and other stakeholders to explore engineering-driven solutions for Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Declaring the lecture open, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, reaffirmed the University’s commitment to advancing engineering education, innovation and technology-driven development. He described engineering as a critical pillar of national growth and central to the University’s vision of producing globally competitive graduates.
The Vice-Chancellor announced that UNIZIK is set to establish Africa’s first Virtual Engineering Laboratory, revealing that the required computer systems have already been delivered while the final licensing process is underway ahead of its expected commissioning next month.
He also disclosed plans for a fully sponsored international visit to leading engineering equipment manufacturers to expose the University’s engineering departments to emerging technologies and global best practices.
Prof. Anyaehie further highlighted the University’s strategic partnership with HiaTech Company, Enugu, aimed at converting petrol-powered tricycles into electric vehicles. According to him, the collaboration will also establish an electric tricycle assembly plant, a repair centre for phones, tablets and other multimedia devices, as well as promote research into locally developed lithium batteries for electric mobility solutions.
Commending the innovative spirit of Anambra people, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the state’s engineering ingenuity makes UNIZIK the ideal environment for pioneering technological advancement and entrepreneurship.
In her keynote address, the Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Hon. Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, stressed that engineering must focus on creating value and solving practical societal problems to drive national development. She emphasized the need for increased investment in infrastructure and urged engineers to develop innovative technologies that will boost agriculture, strengthen the oil and gas sector, and improve Nigeria’s economic competitiveness.
Speaking earlier, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Engr. Prof. Ugochukwu Chuka Okonkwo, described the lecture theme as timely, noting that Nigeria’s challenges of food and energy security demand engineers who are versatile, entrepreneurial and solution-driven.
According to him, engineering has evolved beyond technical problem-solving into a platform for wealth creation, adding that “problem plus insight equals opportunity and profit.”
Prof. Okonkwo disclosed that the Faculty currently has 11 departments, with five additional programmes awaiting full departmental status, reflecting the growing demand for engineering education at UNIZIK. He appealed for greater investment in lecture halls, laboratories, workshops and office spaces to sustain the Faculty’s rapid expansion and maintain global standards.
The Dean also commended the Vice-Chancellor for his unwavering support, describing the Faculty as one of the fastest-growing academic units in the University.
Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Ferdinand Dozie Nwankwo, described engineering as the foundation of sustainable national development, emphasizing that nations attain prosperity by transforming ideas into industries, knowledge into products and challenges into opportunities.
He identified agripreneurship, oil and gas, renewable energy and information technology as strategic sectors where engineering innovation can stimulate industrial growth, create employment and strengthen Nigeria’s economy. Drawing from his personal experience as an accountant who successfully ventured into engineering-related businesses, he encouraged students and professionals to embrace entrepreneurship beyond their primary disciplines.
Delivering a lecture on agripreneurship, the Chief Executive Officer of Huge Technology, Chief Benedict Chukwuma Ibekie, observed that while agriculture will continue to feed Nigeria, lasting wealth will come from reducing waste, processing agricultural products locally and connecting farmers to profitable markets.
He urged the Faculty to establish an Engineering Enterprise Incubation Centre and integrate practical entrepreneurship into every engineering programme.
Also speaking, renowned oil and gas expert, Hon. Chief Johnbosco Onunkwo, described engineers as the driving force behind national development, stressing that the profession offers limitless opportunities for innovation and industrial growth. He called for sustained investment in engineering education, research and infrastructure to maximize the sector’s contribution to the nation’s economy.
A major highlight of the event was the presentation of Awards of Excellence to distinguished policymakers, industry leaders, public administrators and education stakeholders for their remarkable contributions to engineering, agriculture, energy and national development.
Among the recipients were Hon. Dozie Nwankwo, Barr. Chukwudi Oli, Engr. Sir Johnbosco Onunkwo, Chief Sir Ikenna Okafor, Hon. Chiamaka Nnake, Hon. Obi Nwankwo, Hon. Amaka Obi, Ozonkpu Chief Barrister Jude Ekwunife; the former President-General of Enugwu-Ukwu Community, represented by Chief Comrade Bonny Ozo Nkwuaku, alongside several other eminent personalities.
The 2026 Faculty Lecture Series concluded with a renewed commitment by stakeholders to deepen collaboration between academia, government and industry in harnessing engineering innovation, agripreneurship and technology as catalysts for sustainable economic development in Nigeria.