By Ali Hope

The Department of Applied Biology and Biotechnology (ABB), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), has commissioned a fish farming and palm seedling nursery projects aimed at providing students with practical learning experience, promoting entrepreneurship and creating additional revenue opportunities for the department.

The projects were officially commissioned on Thursday at the department’s Biological Garden, with university administrators, lecturers, students, alumni and other stakeholders in attendance.

Speaking at the event, the Head of Department, Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Dr. Cyril Edoga, said the initiative was established to bridge the gap between theoretical classroom instruction and practical experience in biology and biotechnology.

Dr Edoga explained that the department had traditionally relied heavily on theoretical teaching, noting that the new initiative would give students the opportunity to learn through direct involvement in fish farming and palm seedling production.

“We are moving our students from the four walls of the classroom to the pond, and from the lecture hall to the nursery. This is what experiential learning is all about: learning by doing,” he said.

According to him, “the fish farming unit would expose students to hatchery management, water quality management, feed formulation and fish production, while also serving as a research and internally generated revenue (IGR) hub for the department.”

He added that the palm seedling nursery would provide practical training in modern oil palm propagation, nursery management and agribusiness, while contributing to food security and youth empowerment.

The HOD disclosed that the department intends to expand the initiative in the future to include tissue culture, mushroom farming, snailery and other biotechnology-related enterprises.

The HOD, however, appealed to the university management to provide adequate security for the facilities and employ additional staff to support the growing workload in the department.
He noted that the department currently has only six academic staff covering Zoology, Botany and Biotechnology, while one technologist is responsible for the laboratories, practicals, fish farm and palm nursery.

He further revealed that the department currently has no gardener, despite having a biological garden, farm and nursery that require regular maintenance.
“Beyond our own students, the department is a major service department; we teach at least six courses for students in more than eight faculties across the university,” Edoga said, stressing that additional manpower was necessary to sustain the experiential learning programme.

He appreciated the VC for giving the department access to the university borehole and the Dean for providing water storage tank.

Representing the Vice Chancellor, the Acting Dean, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Dr. Peter Eze, described the initiative as a significant step towards practical and innovative education at ESUT.

Prof OKolie said the project represented more than physical infrastructure, describing it as a practical learning platform designed to bridge the gap between classroom instruction and real-world biological sciences.

He urged students to maximise the opportunity by actively participating in practical training, research and innovation.
He said the initiative aligned with the university’s commitment to experiential learning, research excellence, environmental sustainability and agricultural innovation.

Also speaking, the Deputy Director of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre, (EDC), Prof Chris Orgah, said the fish farming project had the potential to become an important source of internally generated revenue for the university.

He disclosed that the EDC would include fish farming as its 32nd skill area, allowing students from other faculties to acquire practical knowledge in the field.
According to him, the initiative would help students move beyond seeking employment to developing businesses and becoming employers of labour.
He also pledged the EDC’s support in providing necessary linkages to help the project grow, stressing that the commercial potential of the initiative should be fully explored.

The Deputy Director encouraged other departments and faculties to develop similar practical and entrepreneurial projects, describing collaboration as essential to transforming ideas into sustainable ventures.

The Departmental President of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Comr Idoko Chukwunonso, expressed appreciation to the HOD, staff, students, deans, heads of departments and other stakeholders who contributed to the establishment of the project.

Comr Mathias said the biological garden already existed before the fish pond initiative was conceived, explaining that he and the HOD, alongside members of the committee, decided to utilise the existing space for the benefit of the department and its students.

According to him, “it took about four weeks to prepare the biological garden and establish the fish pond project.
He disclosed that the four ponds currently contain about 1,300 juvenile fish, noting that although some mortality had been recorded, the fish were generally alive and thriving.”

He explained that the four ponds had been distributed among students from 100 level to 400 level, with course representatives serving as coordinators while he oversees the general activities and organisation of the project.

Mathias said the initiative was not solely about fish production but was designed to encourage students to develop proactive ideas, create businesses and become relevant in the jobcreation space.
He added that the department was also exploring agriculture and tourism within the university, with the broader aim of creating a productive environment where students and members of the ESUT community could witness the possibilities of developing sustainable projects from available resources.

He described the initiative as an opportunity for students to gain practical skills while supporting the department academically and financially.
The event also featured remarks from university officials, including the Dean and representatives of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, the Entrepreneurship Development Centre, staff and student representatives.

The commissioning marks a new phase in the Department of Applied Biology and Biotechnology’s drive towards experiential learning, entrepreneurship, agricultural innovation and sustainable revenue generation for ESUT.