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The Rector of Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, Rev Fr Prof Nnamdi Nwankwo, weekend, said the polytechnic, which is transitioning to Enugu State University of Agriculture and Technology, was being positioned to feed the entire state and beyond.
Prof Nwankwo stated this during the maiden convocation of the polytechnic, which held as its permanent site at Aguobu, Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state. He stated that, “Our goal is to get this school to be the hub of agricultural research and production. This school is capable, when funded rightly, to feed the entire Enugu State and beyond. In all these relationships, we try to build a sense of community where the atmosphere of academic excellence and character formation strive.”
Fr Nwankwo commended Gov Peter Mbah and his predecessors for making the polytechnic attain its current status.
Quoting him, “I thank God Almighty who in His wisdom brought in the governor who understood the meaning of Smart Green School Innovative Education; the governor who has replaced the old pedagogy with the productive Experiential Learning which has revolutionized classroom experience and has given learning a practical solution. Gov Mbah has moved to give us a new direction. He had publicly declared that by the year 2026, we shall have a new name and a new direction. We are eagerly waiting for the take-off of your pronouncement.”
The rector also thanked former Gov Sullivan Chime “who planted this seed”, and ex-Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi “who watered and took care of the tender seedlings.”
Recall that Gov Mbah reaffirmed the upgrade of the polytechnic to a state university of agriculture and technology on August 30, 2025 at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, when he flagged off the free distribution of 40, 000 fertilizers and other farm inputs to over 60, 000 registered farmers in the state. According to him, “The university would be able to produce the next generation of agricultural scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators.”
He was represented at the convocation by the state Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Prof Sam Ugwu. He had stated that, “The state is embarking on agricultural revolution, and this state university of agriculture and technology will play a key role.”
Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, started as Our Lady of Lourdes Teachers Training College, Iwollo, and was renamed Enugu State College of Agriculture and Agro-Entrepreneur in 2009 by the administration of ex-Gov Sullivan Chime. Its upgrade to Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, was in May 2014 by the administration of former Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
The first rector of the polytechnic, Prof Moses Okonkwo, commended the students and staff members of the polytechnic for the upgrade. He also charged them to brace for the tasks ahead.
According to him, “The transition to a university of agriculture is not mere name change. It is a fundamental shift in mandate—from primarily applying knowledge to creating it. This is our first great challenge. The challenge of transition.
“This shift demands more than new letterheads. It demands a cultural and pedagogical evolution. The dialectical narratives will hover around the facts that it requires blending our polytechnic’s legendary hands-on, practical skill—our DNA—with the deep theoretical rigour, research intensity, and critical inquiry that defines a university. It challenges our faculty to become both mentors of techniques and guides in fundamental scientific research. It asks our curriculum to balance the imperative of immediate employability with the long-term goal of producing innovators who will define the future of agriculture itself.”
A former education commissioner in the state, Dr Festus Ozor, who was the commissioner when the institution was renamed Enugu State College of Agriculture, commended Gov Peter Mbah for making it a university. He said, “Gov Mbah says and does. It is an age-long dream. I have no doubt that this new university, with two other campuses at Owo and Uzo-Uwani, will bring the agricultural potentialities of this state to the world map.”
The traditional ruler-elect of Aguobu Iwollo Autonomous Community, Engr Charles Aliozo, assured the management of the new university of total support of the community. He said the community, being agrarian, was most suitable to host the new university of agriculture. He also charged the graduates to become problem-solvers.
In his words, “This first convocation ceremony is more than a milestone for ESPOLY; it is a launchpad for a new generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and builders of the Enugu of our dreams. The world is facing urgent challenges; food security, climate change, and the future of work. Yet you also step out at a time when Enugu State is investing in bold solutions that align knowledge with opportunity. Right here in Aguobu Iwollo, the Enugu Refrigerated Aggregation Centre and its greenhouse clusters are showing how education, clean energy, and innovation can transform our agrarian heritage into engines of prosperity.
“You are not just receiving certificates, you are being entrusted with the keys to shape the future. Some of you will become entrepreneurs, some teachers, some researchers, and many of you will serve as the bridge between traditional wisdom and modern innovation. As your host community, we urge you: take the skills you have acquired here and apply them with courage and creativity. Stand tall as ambassadors of Enugu State Polytechnic (ESPOLY), and soon, God willing, as graduates of our future State University of Agriculture; because indeed, our tomorrow is here. Your success is not for yourselves alone. It is for Enugu State, for Nigeria, and for generations yet unborn.”
The event was witnessed by many dignitaries, including former Deputy Governor of the state, Rt Hon Cecilia Ezeilo; representatives of the National Board for Technical Education, Enugu State University of Science and Technology as well as those of Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu.
The convocation also witnessed the naming of the institution’s main access road after Professor Chiweyite Ejike, a professor of Experimental Zoology, and former Vice Chancellor of Anambra State University of Science and Technology, which birthed Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu; Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi.
