By Ugwu Ijeoma, Ebere Mbah, Ndubuisi Daberechi, Amanoh Chioma, Okedah Abigeal and Emmanuel Chiekezie

In this exclusive interview with ESUT Monitor in his office, the immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Prof. Thompson Chime, highlighted his major achievements in office. He shared insights on why he chose not to seek re-election and pledged his full support to his successor, Prof. Patrick Ejikeme.

Prof. Chime, who concluded his two-year tenure in August 2026, attributed his success to the massive support from the university management, as well as the robust cooperation of the faculty’s staff and students.

Excerpts from the interview anchored by a team of ESUT Monitor reporters led by Ijeoma Ugwu:

Milestones and the Alumni Mantra

When I took over in August 2024, my core mantra was to harness the potential of our alumni for the betterment of the faculty. I immediately set up a committee to drive that vision.

Unfortunately, we hit a tragic setback. The co-chairman of the committee, a prominent alumnus (Engr. Akuvue), passed away suddenly. On August 5th last year, we held a global preparatory conference for our upcoming alumni reunion. The very next day, we received the shocking news that he had gone to be with the Lord. It was a deeply sad moment for us. The faculty, the alumni, and the project struggled to regain momentum after that loss.

A full faculty homecoming would have given us immense leverage to maximize our alumni network. Despite that setback, we still achieved a great deal.

Structural and financial growth in the faculty?

That mantra yielded massive results across various departments. For instance, the current federal Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, who is a proud alumnus of this university, is currently building a 500-capacity auditorium for the Civil Engineering Department. Work is progressing daily, and it will soon be ready for commissioning.

Because the alumni vision was clearly communicated, every department keyed into it and reaped the benefits. No university or faculty can survive without the professionals it has produced.

The Department of Chemical Engineering followed suit. They engaged their alumni, who promised to build a paint production plant for us. The Vice-Chancellor graciously allocated land for this, and the project will take off very soon. Through that same alumni drive, another set of Chemical Engineering alumni donated a robust solar power system. If you visit the department now, power is constant; they no longer rely on EEDC. Every piece of equipment requiring electricity runs smoothly.

Similarly, the Department of Computer Engineering joined the crusade. In August, the Vice-Chancellor visited the faculty to commission a brand-new solar system for the department, and he promised to upgrade it further. These are all direct offshoots of our drive to harness alumni potential.

Resolving Infrastructure and Space Challenges

When I assumed office, we faced severe power and water challenges; in fact, running water was non-existent. We had a faulty submersible pump at the time. Through the collaborative efforts of our staff members, we fixed it and restored the water supply.

However, we faced repeated sabotage. Individuals would deliberately go to the pipelines and cut them—it was that terrible. Fortunately, the Vice-Chancellor recently initiated a campus-wide water reticulation project, which has now reached our faculty. I believe my successor will leverage this infrastructure to resolve the water issue permanently.

The faculty is deeply indebted to our Vice-Chancellor. He has been incredibly supportive. Whenever you approach him with a plan that yields good value for the institution, he approves it without hesitation.

What structural changes did you make to improve office operations?

We looked closely at our accommodation challenges and created a separate office for the Dean’s Secretariat. Previously, the secretariat shared the same room as the Dean’s main office. Separating them has significantly enhanced workplace efficiency.

I also created a dedicated office for the Associate Dean to boost his productivity. I worked hand-in-hand with my Associate, which made a separate, functional workspace imperative.

International Partnerships and Collaborations

Yes, we are actively processing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with York St John University in the USA. The documentation and administrative processes are well underway.

We also secured a partnership with a university in China. Their delegation gave our faculty an excellent rating and expressed strong readiness to partner with us. These collaborations are driven by our alumni, who are scattered all over the globe.

Interestingly, the facilitator who brokered the Chinese university collaboration is not even an alumnus of ESUT. However, based on the stellar reputation of our Faculty of Engineering, he vowed to ensure the partnership succeeds. Initially, the Chinese institution targeted another university within this geopolitical zone, but he successfully convinced them to relocate the opportunity to ESUT. The MoU is ready, and ESUT will be the major participant. While a similar collaboration was established between that institution and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), we have already submitted our faculty resumes and are waiting to kick off full operations.

Upcoming colloquium, book donations, and visiting academic links from Japan?

The same facilitator is coordinating a major book donation to the university. It is in top gear; I have discussed it with the Vice-Chancellor, and he has granted full approval.

Furthermore, he plans to bring academic representatives from his partner university in Japan to visit us this November—we are looking at November 17th and 18th. When they arrive, we plan to host a joint academic colloquium alongside the official book donation. The faculty has been incredibly active in pulling strings to bring these global benefits to the university.

Student Development, Capacity Building, and Skills Training

We have done a great deal for our students. For instance, we partnered with an international firm, Riverbank Company. Under normal circumstances, professional training in 2D and 3D AutoCAD costs between ₦200,000 and ₦300,000 per person.

However, we attracted the company to our campus. They spent a full week conducting intensive training for our engineering students, and we even extended the opportunity to students from the Faculty of Environmental Sciences. The company went as far as providing lunch for the participants throughout the week. Certificates of skill acquisition have already been distributed to all the students who successfully completed the program.

Furthermore, in collaboration with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), we leveraged our network to bring the leadership of LG Electronics to the faculty. They conducted valuable hands-on skill acquisition workshops for our students.

How did organizing faculty orientation and matriculation improve the first-year student experience?

During my tenure, we successfully hosted distinct orientation and matriculation ceremonies for two academic sessions. Notably, this was the first time the faculty organized a dedicated orientation programme specifically for first-year students. It gave our freshmen a vital opportunity to familiarize themselves with their respective departments, meet faculty staff, and tour our laboratory and workshop facilities.

How did the introduction of Google’s online mentorship programme impact engineering students?

We also established a connection with Google in the United States, which rolled out an online mentorship programme for our students. The turnout was excellent, and our students gained invaluable tech-industry insights.

What steps have been taken to secure the structure donated by the alumni?

As I mentioned earlier, aggressive alumni outreach was our priority. I intend to ensure this momentum is maintained even though I have stepped down. My successor, Prof. Ejikeme, will continue with this mantra because our alumni network is vast and underutilized. We have highly successful men and women globally who are eager to give back and drive development in the faculty.

Academic Standards, Postgraduate Growth and Legacy

When I assumed office, it was common to see 10 to 15 PhD students presenting their seminars simultaneously in a single session. This was far from ideal for a rigorous doctoral defense. We restructured the process and capped presentations at a maximum of four PhD students per sitting. This standard ensures a thorough, unhurried evaluation of each thesis, which has significantly upgraded the quality of our graduates.

We also strictly tackled graduation delays. Under my watch, no department was allowed to unnecessarily retain a student for an extra month. Because we eliminated these systemic bottlenecks, word spread, and we witnessed a massive influx of postgraduate applications. Our postgraduate enrollment skyrocketed from 253 to 653 students.

How did the faculty handle the surge in postgraduate enrollment and the expansion of its academic programmes?

The faculty effectively managed this expansion while adding a brand-new department: Biomedical Engineering. This expanded our offerings to nine fully functional departments, building upon the eight we previously had.

We have truly done our part to restore this faculty to its historic peak. When you step outside this university, the Faculty of Engineering is what people talk about. We are, without a doubt, the foremost faculty in ESUT.

How does the faculty continue to build on its legacy of innovation, including past achievements in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) technology?

Our faculty has consistently made waves nationally. For instance, the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) technology being widely discussed in Nigeria today is something ESUT pioneered decades ago. As far back as the 1980s, our faculty design teams produced functional engine pistons powered by CNG.

More recently, during a major national engineering exhibition where I served as the committee chairman, ESUT took 1st and 3rd place overall. One of our students was crowned the best innovator nationwide for the project we presented.

Why didn’t you contest for second term?

There was no need, I felt I have achieved my targets. Even if that was not the case, I have done enough and need rest. The work in the faculty is enormous  but I was able to do the much I can. Again, I didn’t contest because I felt I should give room for another dean to take over. I have said it before but let me use this channel to reiterate so that ESUT Monitor will amplify it, the Deanship position should be for one term without renewal. Once you have done one term, vacate the place for another person.  

Message to your successor

The faculty is our family. He was part of what we recorded during my tenure. Prof Ejikeme is a man of proven track records and I have not doubt in his capacity to do more than I did. I will also urge him to carry everyone along, go for fence mending. The election came with its expected politics but now that everything is over, it’s time for purposeful leadership and we need all hands on board. Those who contested with him have something to offer, so let them cross-fertilize ideals and make the faculty the best

He should be rest-assured of my support always. We need to move the faculty forward.