Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi state on Friday received a powerful homecoming as some members of the AE-FUNAI Alumni Association returned to campus not just to reminisce, but to reinvest in the future of the institution that shaped them.
Led by Dr. Chukwuemeka Oko-Otu, a graduate of History and Strategic Studies, the delegation of accomplished graduates, donated books, engaged final-year students in a high-impact mentorship and pledged long-term support to their alma mater aimed at raising academic standards, instilling discipline, and reinforcing the culture of giving back.
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Oko-Otu challenged students to see their university years as the foundation for national impact.
“Hard work, discipline, and integrity are not optional. They are the currency with which you will buy your future.
Today, AE-FUNAI graduates are excelling in medicine, engineering, law, business, public service, and academia across Nigeria and beyond. That same path is open to you”, he stated.
Beyond the donation, the Dr. Oko-Otu who is a Visiting Research Fellow, Oxford University, United Kingdom unveiled a roadmap for sustained engagement: structured mentorship programmes, career guidance and industry linkages to bridge the gap between classroom and workplace, and yearly endowment of N200, 000 to support the graduating student with the best thesis in History & Strategic Studies, while Kelechi Agwu Azuanya, a Partnership Advisor at NNPC Energy Services (EnServ) and Francis Egede, an Energy Management, Contracts and Procurement Expert, pledged a yearly endowment of N200, 000 each to support the graduating student with the best thesis in Computer Science.
“We are not just giving books today. We are making a covenant to build AE-FUNAI into a university whose graduates define excellence. Our endowments start with time, talent, and treasure. We call on every AE-FUNAI graduate, home and abroad, to join this movement”, he concluded.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Daniel Nwachukwu, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Dr. Celestine Afiukwa commended the alumni for their vision. He urged students to remain focused, uphold good character, and seize every opportunity the university provides.
“This gesture proves that AE-FUNAI is producing graduates who are not only doing well, but are also willing to lift others as they rise,” Dr. Afiukwa said.
As a tangible commitment to academic excellence, the Vice-Chancellor commended the alumni for their donation of a significant consignment of books and educational materials to the university library, stressing that the resources were expected to broaden students’ research capacity and support personal development.
He further described the donation as “a landmark contribution to teaching, learning, and research” and pledged to institutionalize alumni participation in university governance and development.
While concluding, the Vice-Chancellor called on other alumni of the university to emulate this example, noting “the growth of your Alma Mater depends on the collective commitment of those who have passed through its gates”.
Final-year students who attended the interactive session expressed gratitude and pledged to maximize the donated resources.
“You’ve shown us that AE-FUNAI degrees travel far. We will make you, and this university, proud”, one students’ representative said.
The event concluded with the formal presentation of books, interactive sessions, and a group photograph — a symbol of the renewed bond between AE-FUNAI and its alumni.
