VC Applauds UNIZIK-Made Innovations as Environmental Sciences Faculty Presents World Environment Day Gift
The Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, has commended the innovative and entrepreneurial capacity of the University community following the presentation of locally produced gift items by the Faculty of Environmental Sciences during a courtesy visit to his office.
The delegation, led by the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. K.C. Okolie, visited the Vice-Chancellor on Monday, June 8, 2026, to formally present a gift earlier awarded to him during the 2026 World Environment Day celebration held on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Speaking during the presentation, Prof. Okolie recalled that the Vice-Chancellor actively participated in the tree-planting exercise organised as part of the World Environment Day activities but was unavoidably absent during the lecture session where the gift was officially presented.
According to him, “Vice-Chancellor Sir, on Friday, June 5, 2026, you joined us during the tree-planting exercise as part of the World Environment Day celebration. Unfortunately, you were unavoidably absent during the lecture proper, during which the Faculty presented this gift which I received on your behalf.”
Prof. Okolie explained that the gift items, consisting of parlour rugs and decorative pillows, were produced by one of the textile units in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts. He noted that the Vice-Chancellor had previously admired the products during an exhibition organised by the department.
Receiving the items, Prof. Anyaehie expressed appreciation to the Faculty for the thoughtful gesture and praised the Department of Fine and Applied Arts for demonstrating the University’s creative and productive potential.
“This is excellent, and it is proudly a product of this University,” the Vice-Chancellor stated. “These items will be used at the Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge, which will be ready next month. I sincerely appreciate the Faculty, especially for patronising our Fine and Applied Arts Department.”
The Vice-Chancellor reiterated his administration’s commitment to promoting innovation, creativity, and self-reliance within the University system, stressing that universities must go beyond knowledge dissemination to producing practical solutions and marketable products that address societal needs.
“I strongly believe that the University should be self-sustaining. We should be able to produce many of the things we use and also supply products and services to the larger society. I encourage Fine and Applied Arts and other units to continue producing useful and impactful innovations,” he said.
Prof. Anyaehie further disclosed that he has encouraged the University’s engineering departments to develop products such as tricycles and vehicle-tracking devices, while also challenging the Computer Science and Information Technology units to create indigenous virtual meeting applications capable of competing with existing foreign platforms.
“It is also the responsibility of the University to provide solutions to the challenges faced by the communities around it. I am deeply grateful for this gift and particularly excited that it is a UNIZIK-made product,” he added.
Other members of the delegation included Prof. Fidelis I. Emoh of the Department of Estate Management; Prof. Ebele Emengini of the Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics; Prof. Ivan Okonkwo of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts; and Mr. Babatunde A. Adeola, Assistant Registrar in the Dean’s Office.
The visit further highlighted the Faculty’s commitment to environmental sustainability, innovation, institutional collaboration, and the promotion of indigenous creativity and enterprise within Nnamdi Azikiwe University.