Prof Oguejiofo Ujam, the Acting Vice-chancellor of University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) says nobody inside or outside UNN University Community has disputed the assertion that, Prof Frank Ndili era remained a golden era in UNN.
Ujam said this in Nsukka on Thursday during Prof Frank Ndili Maiden Memorial Lecture & Induction of the Awardees of the Ndili Foundation Scholars Programme.
He said during that era, UNN had a good number of expatriates including Americans, Britons, indians among others as lecturers in the university.
”These expatriates all lived on campus and enjoyed what was truly a modern university that paraded the best standards of academics and municipal services.
*Sadly successive generations of leadership have struggled to sustain and even improve on such grandiose municipal infrastructure.
”Apart from creating and maintaining strong academic and ethical culture, Prof Ndili is also credited with building the most magnificent among the buildings in this university, I am also personally impressed with the extensive municipal infrastructure he put up in this university.
”Prof Frank Ndili era remained a golden era in UNN”he said.
He commended the choice of Prof P.N. Okeke to deliver the Maiden Memorial Lecture of Ndili as Okeke was Prof Ndili’s PhD’s student also holds the honour of being the first ever recipient of the Doctorate degree of this prestigious University of Nigeria.
He thanked Dr Amachi Ndili the Chairman of the education foundation and other members for the sponsorship as well as congratulated undergraduates students who would be maiden inductees of the Ndili Foundation Scholars Programme for their academic excellence that earned them the selection.
”I urge them to remain academically focused so as to justify the foundation’s investment on them as well as to be selected again next year.
Speaking, Dr Amachi Ndili, the Chairman of Prof Ndili Education Scholarship Foundation expressed appreciation for UNN recognition of his father’s immense contributions to the UNN.
”Ndili’s family is happy over the recognition and support to our father both as an academic and administrator during his sojourn in UNN.
He said the foundation was way of giving back to the society especially the youths who needed education to make positive impacts in their future.
”UNN community showered kindness to my father and our entire family, today we are giving back to UNN as way a way showing appreciation.
”This programme will not only bring access to education but also bring mentorship and good leadership.
”The 21 beneficiaries are selected on merits as their departments provided records of their academic performance.
”The foundation will pay their tuition fees, give them monthly stipend, give them laptop, help those who want to do their master degree on graduation as well as help them get employments among others.
”They beneficiaries selected in this 2025 will remain in 2026 if they maintained their good academic records else their undergraduates colleagues who achieved better result will replace them during next selection.
”So you can see that, only good academic performance will retain those selected this year in the Ndili Education Foundation,” he said.
Dr Amachi expressed appreciation to UNN-VC for approving the Programme, thanked Emeritus Prof P.N Okeke for being the maiden keynote speaker, Emeritus Prof Sam Onyegegbu for chairing the occasion.
He thanked members of the foundation for their unquantifiable contributions as well as staff and students of UNN for coming out in their numbers to give the event a special colour
In keynote speech by Emeritus Prof Okeke, he
discribed the event as landmark that was more than launch of lecture series.
”It is with deep honour that stand before you on behalf of Ndili foundation committed to promoting and democraticising access to the highest of market education and human capital development in Africa.
*The Ndili Foundation was founded on simple but powerful conviction that the greatest resource is in Africa especially its youths.
Prof Okeke said he captured some of the highlights achievements of Ndili on a academics and administration in UNN as no book could contained all the achievements of the great ‘Iroko’ called Prof Frank Ndili.
He said the name of Ndili would continue to be a point of good reference wherever and whenever the history of UNN is written nationally and internationally.
Some of the beneficiaries interviewed by our correspondent prayed God to replenish the family of Ndili on the huge education investment the family is making on them through the Prof Frank Ndili education foundation.
They pledged to work harder by reading their books to ensure that by next year their good academic performance will retain them as beneficiaries.
Our correspondent gathered that, Prof Frank Ndili was born 1934 and died in 2024.
He served as Vice-chancellor in University of Nigeria Nsukka from 1980 to 1985.
