BY DR DONS EZE

In the Beginning
It was in 2008 that the Enugu State Government under former Governor Sullivan Chime nurtured the idea of establishing a college of agriculture for purposes of teaching and research. But unlike other colleges of agriculture, the mandate of the college was to identify opportunities in agriculture and introduce them for positive and measureable changes.
To actualize this great dream, a committee made of eminent professionals was set up to prepare grounds for effective take off of the institution. The premises of the former Teachers’ Trainings College (TTC) at Iwollo in Ezeagu Local Government Area was chosen as location for the college, which was then named Enugu State College of Agriculture and Agro-Entreprenuershship, Iwollo, (ESCAAI).
This was followed by the setting of an interim governing board, which had Dr. L. S. Eneh, as Chairman, with Dr. Okey Eze, Rev Frof B. N. Mba, Prince Nathan Ogbu, and Dr. Moses Okonkwo, as other members. An enabling law enacted by the State House of Assembly, titled Enugu State College of Agriculture Law No 6 of May 2000”, which gave legal status to the institution.
With the law in place, it was then followed with the appointment of principal officers and the inauguration of the first governing council of the college, which comprised largely all the interim members of the board, which Dr. Moses Okonkwo, and Lady Ijeoma Ugwu, as Provost and Registrar respectively. The stage was therefore set for the recruitment of academic and non-academic staff of the college and commencement academic activities.
Absence of Functional Infrastructure
On commencement, the Enugu College of Agriculture and Agro-Entreprenuership, Iwollo, (ESCAAI) inherited practically nothing from the defunct Teachers’ Training College (TTC), whose premises were covered with weeds, shrubs and dilapidated buildings. There were however three unserviceable power generating plants, two non-functional overhead water tanks, one abandoned ‘506’ bus.
It was under sorry situation that the management of the institution found itself when the college took off on 2nd of October 2000. Notwithstanding these deficiencies, the management of the school set out to work and determined to succeed. Six academic departments, comprising Agronomy, Animal Production, Enreprenerurship, Agricultural Extension, Management and General Studies, in addition to non-academic departments of Bursary and Works, were created. Full academic activities started on July 15, 2010 with a total of 47 staff, both academic and non-academic.
Rehabilitation of Structures
The first task that engaged the attention of the management team was how to make the institution habitable. It started by the rehabilitation of dilapidated infrastructures and erection of new buildings to create enabling environment for both administrative and academic activities. All the overgrown weeds and shrubs were equally cleared or hewn down with the entire compound properly landscaped. Necessary implements and equipment were procured for equipping the laboratories and workshop in accordance with the requirements of the National for Technical Education (NTBE).
Farming Activities
ESCAAI started farming activities with fish farming in 2010 with two plastic fish ponds each with production capacity of 300 fishes. The experiment was successful. It also engaged in poultry production with a viability of 200 birds. Apart from fish and bird farming, the college equally ventured into crop production. Among crops grown were maize, pineapple, garden eggs, pepper, water melon, potato, yam, okro, cucumber, pumpkin, tomato, moringa, banana, and zobo.
Journey to Polytechnic
By the Enugu House of Assembly Law of January 15, 2015, the Enugu College of Agriculture and Agro-Entreprenuership, Iwollo, was upgraded to Enugu State Polytechnic (ESPOSY). The law granted the new polytechnic power to offer courses in Agricultural Technology, Applied Sciences, Engineering, Commerce, and Management.
With the new status of the institution, the National Board Technical Education (NBTE) was invited for revalidation of the grogrammes earlier approved, and for the accreditation of new ones. The NBTE harkened to this invitation and after their visit in July 2015, the approval granted to the earlier courses were upheld, while five new courses were granted accreditation.
Multi-Campus Arrangement
Grappling with the challenges of inadequate finance, gross deficiency of infrastructural facilities, and non-accreditation of most of its courses, the government of former Governor Ifeany Ugwuanyi decided to convert Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, to a multi-campus institution. Accordingly, new campuses of the polytechnic were established in Udenu local government area, and the other one in Enugu, while Iwollo was retained as the main campus of the institution. Not a few people saw the governor’s decision as politically motivated and designed to serve some selfish interests, since Enugu State could hardly afford such an expensive venture both and now, or in any foreseeable future.
The result was that the few resources available to the polytechnic were being split among the three in order to accommodate everybody,s interest. This, obviously, had retarded progress, rather than brought about positive growth in the institution.
Light at the End of Dark Tunnel
The ascension to power of Governor Peter Mbah as the new helmsman in Enugu State, in 2023, opened a new chapter in the annals of Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo. The governor wasted no time in doing away with the multi-campus system of the institution, which he believed, had held the polytechnic down. He also assisted the polytechnic in acquiring a large expanse of land at Aguobu Iwollo in Ezeagu local government area to serve as permanent site of the polytechnic. With this new dawn, the stage was set for the new Rector of the institution, Rev. Fr. Prof. Nnamdi Nwankwo, to put his ingenuity to work.
A visionary innovator and accomplished scholar, Prof Nnamdi Nwankwo had, within three years of assuming the headship of Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, succeeded in turning around the fortunes of the institution. He embarked on providing basic infrastructural facilities in the polytechnic, aimed at giving shelter to both its administrative and academic staff. With time, a lot of buildings began to sprout out in all corners of the institution.
Believing in concept of marriage between the gown and the town, Prof Nwankwo in 2022 launched an education summit which involed all stakeholders of the polytechnic, and aimed at enabling all and sundry to contribute at their different levels in building and developing Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo.
The education summit was a huge success, jn which notalities both within and outside Enugu State, including Senator Osita Ngwu, Senate Minority Leader and Senator representing Enugu West, actively participated.
100% Accreditation of ESPOLY Programmes
After a thorough and painstaking accreditation of courses offered in Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the exercise came out with hundred percent success. That was the first time that the polytechnic had presented itself for accreditation of programmes in both the higher and national diploma exercises. In all, 23 higher diploma and 23 national diploma proggrames were offered, and they all came out successfully. ESPOLY was equally successful in the SIWES accreditation programmes in the polytechnic.
Following were list of programmes offered in the Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, (ESPOLY), for which accreditation had been approved for their various courses.
National Agricultural Technology
HIgher National Diploma Pest Management Technology
National Diploma Animal Health and Production
National Diploma Horticulture
National Diploma Cooperative Economy and Management
National Diploma Public Administration
National Diploma Business Administration and Management
National Diploma Civil Engineering
National Diploma Computer Engineering
Higher National Diploma Computer Engineering
National Diploma Computer Science
Higher National Diploma Computer Sciences
National Diploma Statistics
Higher National Diploma Statistics
National Diploma Accountancy
Higher National Diploma Accountancy
National Diploma Banking and Finance
Higher National Diploma Banking and Finance
With this new dawn, Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, has metamorphosed to a centre of academic excellence. The hundred percent approval granted the polytechnic by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), during its recent accreditation exercise, shows that the institution can comfortably hold its ground anywhere in the world. This can be attributed to the ingenuity, creativity, hardwork and undauting spirit of both the management and stall of the state polytechnic
There is also a very bright for the institution. With the recent announcement by the state government that it would upgrade Enugu State Polytechnic, (ESPOLY) Iwollo, to a University of Agriculture, the sky can only be its limit.