By Chiekezie Emmanuel

New Leadership and Big Dreams

The Department of Industrial Chemistry at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has welcomed Dr. Okechukwu Nsude as its new Head of Department. Dr. Nsude, who recently replaced Dr. Ozoemena Ike, has promised to reposition the department and enhance collaboration with its alumni network.

Speaking with the ESUT Monitor in his office, Dr. Nsude shared that his deep-rooted passion for the department stems from being an alumnus himself. “When I was appointed as the Acting Head, I had many dreams. With God’s guidance, I will ensure these dreams become reality moving forward,” he stated.

Immediate Administrative and Infrastructure Reforms
Reflecting on his first few weeks in office, the new HOD highlighted several visible changes aimed at creating a professional environment. The HOD office has been completely repainted, and old curtains have been upgraded to premium window blinds.

Beyond aesthetics, Dr. Nsude has launched a major administrative overhaul to manage student data more efficiently. “This is a major servicing department that handles chemistry courses for all first-year science, engineering, agriculture, and environmental science students—spanning over 40 departments,” Dr. Nsude explained. To fix the previous system where all results were piled together, the department is constructing a centralized records shelf with nearly 50 dedicated slots. This setup will allow staff to locate specific departmental results instantly.

Technological Innovation and Legacy Projects
Dr. Nsude wants his tenure to be defined by modernization and industrial relevance. A key part of his vision is equipping the laboratories with advanced, automated machinery. Specifically, he aims to acquire a Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR)—a vital piece of analytical hardware the department currently lacks.

“Right now, we have to send our samples outside the university to be tested and determined,” Dr. Nsude noted. “Leaving a legacy where the department owns its own automated testing machines would make me incredibly fulfilled.”

Addressing Student Retention and Medical Redeployment Challenges
A major hurdle facing the department is a high student attrition rate during the transition from first to second year. While 170 students were admitted into Industrial Chemistry last year, only 110 remained by their second year.

According to Dr. Nsude, roughly 40 to 60 students regularly exit the program to redeploy into newly expanded medical disciplines. With nine different medical fields now available at the university—including Nursing, Physiotherapy, Optometry, Radiography, and Medical Laboratory Science—many students treat Industrial Chemistry as a temporary stepping stone while waiting for medical openings.

Leveraging Alumni Collaboration for Facility Upgrades
To solve power and facility issues, the HOD revealed plans to install solar panel systems. This green energy alternative will ensure that students and staff have uninterrupted power to print documents and run basic operations.

However, deeper infrastructure issues persist. The laboratory roofing is deteriorated, causing water leaks during rainstorms, and much of the existing laboratory equipment has become obsolete. Recognizing that relying solely on university funding or government budgets might take too long, Dr. Nsude is aggressively reaching out to the department’s alumni network to crowdfund and fix these urgent structural issues.

Expanding Career Horizons: Upcoming Student Orientation
To combat the student flight to medical courses, the department is organizing a comprehensive student orientation workshop. The initiative aims to correct the misconception that chemistry graduates are limited to secondary school teaching roles.

Dr. Nsude emphasized that Industrial Chemistry is a highly lucrative, engineering-adjacent field. Graduates are fully equipped to work in high-paying sectors like oil and gas with giants like Shell and Mobil. They are also vital to the plastics, textiles, paint, and consumer goods industries.

“Students need to realize they can become successful entrepreneurs straight out of graduation,” Dr. Nsude concluded, pointing to successful alumni running local businesses. “I have friends owning foam production firms at 9th Mile, tissue production factories in Emene, and paint production plants in Udi. Our graduates have the exact technical knowledge needed to launch and own these types of manufacturing firms.”