By Amaechi Agbo

The management of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, on Thursday paid homage to the founding father of the university, His Excellency, Senator Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo on his 84th birthday celebration.

Led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, the management team comprising the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chike Nwoha; the Registrar, Chief Ambrose Ugwu; the Bursar, Dr Augustine Ojeh, among others, were received by the “Birthday Boy” at his country home in Amechi Awkunanaw, in Enugu South Local Government Area.

While delivering their birthday gift to the former Governor of Anambra State, the Vice-Chancellor wished him the best of his birthday day and prayed God to “sustain him with good health, long life , so that the state and the university will continue to tap from his wisdom in managing the affairs of the people.”

Senator Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, a former Minister of sports and Chairman, Enugu Rangers, celebrated his 84th birthday on Thursday May 9, 2024. He was born on this day in 1940 in Agyaragu, Lafia, Nassarawa State.

A successful businessman, Senator Nwobodo joined the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) and in October 1978, was elected NPP chairman for the old Anambra State. He contested the 1979 elections and on 1 October 1979 was sworn into office as the first Executive Governor of Anambra State.

As governor, Nwobodo achieved unprecedented records including the establishments of the Nike Lake Hotel, Anambra State Television, Anambra State University of Science and Technology, (ASUTECH); Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), the Ikenga Hotels, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Eha Amufu College of Education, Nsugbe College of Education and the Nkalagu Cement industry, among other projects.

Establishment Of ESUT

The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) is a university in Nigeria that was founded as Anambra State University of Technology (ASUTECH) on 30 July 1980, by the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Chief Dr Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo.

The creation of Enugu State out of Anambra State in 1991 by the then Military President, General Ibrahim Gbadamasi Babangida, transformed ASUTECH into Enugu State University of Science and Technology, (ESUT)

Established as the very first state University in the country, the University has grown tremendously, stretching its academic disciplines and research across six different Schools and thirty academic departments. ESUT is located at Agbani in Nkanụ West LGA, Enugu State, Nigeria and its vision and mission are not only clearly stated, but very vigorously pursued.

On establishment, the University which was conceived on a Presidential model after Harvard University, made impressive landmarks and stamped its name as the first University of Technology and first State University in Nigeria with her main campus at Enugu.

Other campuses that were created later were located at Abakiliki, Awka and Nnewi. At inception, only three faculties namely, Engineering, Science and Technology were established at the two functional campuses at Enugu and Awka.

In 1985, there were major re-organisations and policies resulting in the introduction of new programmes and the merging of the University with its sister polytechnic – IMT. The new faculties created then were faculties of Education, Environmental Sciences, Health Sciences, Law, Social Sciences, Management Sciences and Agric Sciences etc.

The two merged institutions operated unsuccessfully under one Interim Joint Council (IJC) with Prof. Onwumechili as the President and Proc. J.C. Ene of IMT as Deputy until December 1986 when it was demerged.

By 1987 the four campuses had kicked off in earnest with Abakaliki campus housing Agric Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, while Awka campus was for students of Basic Applied Sciences, Law and Social Sciences, Nnewi campus catered for Health Sciences comprising Medicine and Dentistry while the main campus in Enugu housed Engineering, Technology, Management Sciences and the rest. Each of the campuses had a Deputy Vice-Chancellor as the administrative head.

In 1991, following the creation of Enugu State from the old Anambra State the new Government changed name from ASUTECH to ESUT.

At that time, the two former campuses of ASUTECH at Awka and Nnewi became the State University for Anambra State which today has been taken over by the Federal Government and renamed Nnamdi Azikiwe University, while the Enugu and Abakiliki campuses on the other hand formed ESUT.

ESUT however retained and adopted all the identities of the old ASUTECH including its main campus, the logo, colour, anthem, philosophy, aims and objectives among others.

This re-packaged University, ESUT, established a new campus at Adada Nkpologwu in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area where students of Applied Natural Sciences and Social Sciences were located.

These three campuses at Enugu, Abakailiki and Nsukka Zones of the State had four colleges, each headed by a Provost.

College of Engineering at Enugu
Colleges of Agriculture and health Sciences at Abakaliki
College of Applied Natural Sciences at Adada –Nsukka

The creation of Ebonyi State from the old Enugu and Abia States in 1996 saw ESUT forfeiting its campus at Abakaliki which houses its Colleges of Medicine and Agriculture.

The new State (Ebonyi) understandably converted the campuses to a State University known today as (EBSU) Ebonyi State University. ESUT on the other hand re-established its College of Health Sciences at Nsukka until 2005 when it was relocated to Parklane Enugu and named ESUT College of Medicine/Teaching Hospital.

On February 14, 2006, the University under the Vice Chancellorship of Professor Ikechukwu Chidobem was moved from its temporary site at Independence Layout Enugu to a befitting permanent structure built in Nkanu West L.G.A. and named Ebeanọ City.