FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA HOLDS A SUCCESSFUL GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY
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From Chris Ugwuja, Nsukka
A Professor of Electrical Engineering and Dean, Faculty of Engineering, UNN, Prof. Emenike Chinedozi Ejiogu, FNIEEE, an erudite Professor, whose administration has been so beneficial to the UNN, in an interview with newsmen after the ceremony on how he felt said “well, Eeh, of course, we are happy for a successful groundbreaking ceremony for a donor project we got from Azura Power West Africa Limited.
The Company will install a 240KW Solar Power Panel to the Faculty of Engineering, which they graciously agreed to expand to include a car park, whereby they’ll now use Solar panel to make the roof of the car park. So, it is like a combination of projects: Solar, Power plant and then, car park for the Faculty Of Engineering”.
Speaking on whether the project would accommodate everything in Engineering, he said, “Yes, the 240KW will power virtually everything. You know, one thing with power is that, Air Conditioner won’t come up at the same time. Every device won’t come up at the same time, so at any point in time, the 240KW will be available and of course, at night, most offices are closed and as you listened to Azura, this is just the first step, they still have a mind to scale up after this project and we are gradually shifting to complete reneweable energy power system in the Faculty.
Prof. Ejiogu, the dynamic hard working Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, made the remarks during the groundbreaking “Azura GrimEng Associates 240KW Solar Power System at the Faculty of Engineering”, UNN sponsored by Azura Power West Africa Limitad on 8th February, 2024.
He added “We thank our donor, the Managing Director (MD)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Azura, Edu Okeke, who is an alumnus of the Faculty Of Engineering, specifically, in the Department of Electronics Engineering and the MD/CEO of Azura who decided to make this project a part of the Company’s Social Responsibility.
Also speaking , the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Charles Arizechukwu Igwe, FAS, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Romanus Ezeokonkwo, when asked to comment, said “I am very excited, you would have seen that when I spoke there. A whooping six hundred and four million naira project: we have not seen any one like that before from a private sector. It is enomours and our joy is that at the end of the day, it will help cut down the bill we pay to Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) every month. I believe it could knock off about ten million naira from that.”
On how they would pay the Company back, he said, “we will market their name and will be ready to partner with them. Infact, there are so many things they would gain from us”.
On maintenance he said, “let them give us the project first. I believe we will be able to maintain it.
In his remarks, Murtala Bello, Head of Corporate Affairs, Azura Power, who doubled as the representative of Edu Okeke, MD/CEO, Azura Power West Africa Limited, said “We are in UNN today as a result of some 2-years of work that has gone before now in bringing to UNN, a 240KW Solar project and also construction of a car park. This project was born out of the desire of Azura power to support the SDJ and also to support the Federal Government desire to reduce the carbon footprint of energy utilization and as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility to ensure that we give back to the society”.
On when the project would be ready, he said “We expect this project to be delivered in May this year”.
On the money that would be required for the project, he said, “the project will cost Azura six hundred and four million naira”.
On the commendation that the money is huge, he said, “the money is huge because Azura believes in sustainability of projects. So, we are not just in the power sector to generate power and make profit, but also to give back to the society. So, every year, we deploy about one million Dollars for corporate Social Responsibility Projects across Nigeria. This is just one of such projects.”
On maintenance, he said “this project has a two-year contract, so, the next 2 years, our Project Manager and the contractor will be managing this project together with UNN and thereafter provide support services as well “.
