Prof. Nwabueze I. Elom

Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies

Nwabueze I. Elom is a Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry. Prof. Nwabueze I. Elom took his first degree in Chemical Engineering at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu State, Nigeria (1994 – 1999).

This was followed by an M.Sc. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, United Kingdom (UK) (2003 – 2004). On his return from the UK, he joined the Department of Industrial Chemistry, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Nigeria as an assistant lecturer in January, 2005. In January 2010, Nwabueze went back to the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK for a PhD programme under the supervision of Prof John. R. Dean (Professor of Analytical and Environmental Science).

His edge-cutting PhD research focussed on human health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from environmental matrices and was successfully completed in record time (May, 2013). In November 2013, he left the UK and returned to Nigeria, and also resumed work at Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

 

In March 2019,  Nwabueze I. Elom got a job as a reader (Associate Professor) in the Department of Chemistry Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Accordingly, he transferred his service to AE-FUNAI. In October 2022, he was promoted to the rank of a Professor. He was the head of Department of Chemistry from September 2021 to August 2023. In September, 2023 he was appointed the Dean of School of Postgraduate Studies. A position he held until June 02, 2026. As the Dean of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Nwabueze I. Elom demonstrated integrity, wisdom and total dedication to his job and as a result he contributed significantly to the progress and expansion of the School. On June 03, 2026 the senate of the university converted the School of Postgraduate Studies to College of Postgraduate Studies and Prof. Nwabueze I. Elom was appointed the Pioneer Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, a position he occupies till date.

Professor Nwabueze I. Elom has served the university in many capacities and has also headed many committee. Outside the university community, he is actively involved community social responsibility. He has been the Board of Governors Chairman of Redeemers International Schools Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria since 2022 till date.  He has used his wealth of experience to reposition the school. This just one out of many other societal responsibilities that he occupies.

 

Professor Nwabueze I. Elom is a thoroughbred researcher who believes strongly in best research ethical practices. His research interest is ‘Bioaccessibility and Human Health risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) from Environmental Matrices, with special interest in lead (Pb)’. Bioaccessibility studies is a physiologically based extraction test used to assess the bioaccessble fraction of an environmental contaminants. In 2013, his research group at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle Upon Tyne United Kingdom headed by Prof. John R. Dean developed a bioaccessibility method  called Simulated Epithelial Lung Fluid (SELF) and has since been used by many researchers to assess the respiratory bioaccessibility of Pb from inhalable urban dust (<10 µm). Apart from SELF, Prof. Nwabueze I. Elom has also used other bioaccessility methods to determine the bioaccessibility of PTEs from environmental matrices including Unified Bioaccessibility Method (UBM).

 

In AE-FUNAI, Prof. Nwabueze I. Elom has introduced bioaccessibility studies. In 2025, the first PhD graduate in the Department of Chemistry was his student and the title of his thesis was ‘Bioaccessibility of Human Health Risks of Potentially Toxic Elements from Mining Soils of Ebonyi State’. Currently, he has four PhD students undertaking bioaccessibility studies, and many Postgraduate applicants have also indicated interest. Prof. Nwabueze I. Elom’s postgraduate training in Great Britain exposed him to many analytical instruments. Thus, he has all the needed skills and experiences in handling key analytical instruments including:  Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray Florescence (XRF), Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) among others.  

He has attended many conferences and published extensively in referred journals, and his research has attracted many research grants both locally and internationally. Some of the research grants are:

  1. Royal Society of Chemistry 2015 Research Fund Grant
    Awarding body: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) UK.
    Worth of grant: Four thousand five hundred and fifty one British pounds seven pence (£4051.07).
    Research topic: Human health risk assessment of lead (Pb) to children from current and abandoned mining sites in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
  2. Royal Society of Chemistry 2017 Research Fund Grant(RF17-6856).
    Awarding body: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) UK.
    Worth of grant: Four thousand British pounds (£4000)
    Research topic: Human health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from quarry dusts.
  3. Royal Society of Chemistry 2018 Research Fund Grant(RF18-5567).
    Awarding body: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) UK.
    Worth of grant: Four thousand British pounds (£4000)
    Research topic:Determination of bioaccessible lead (Pb) in Ebonyi State Pb mines.
  4. Inclusion and Diversity 2020 (145605913)
    Awarding body: Inclusion and Diversity, RSC UK.
    Worth of grant: Four thousand Nine Hundred and Forty British pounds (£4940)
    Research topic:Development of strategies for closing the gender gap in the enrolment of students studying chemistry in secondary schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

Prof. Nwabueze I. Elom is a member of The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) UK among other professional bodies.