Prof Nwachukwu emerges fourth VC of AE-FUNAI

The Governing Council of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, has appointed Professor Daniel C. Nwachukwu as the 4th Vice-Chancellor of the university.

Professor Nwachukwu’s appointment was announced by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the institution’s Council, Dr Anthony Chibuzo Nebo, on Saturday, December 20, 2025.

According to the Pro-Chancellor, Nwachukwu emerged victorious over seven other contestants after a painstaking and transparent selection process that involved more than 40 seasoned professors.

“Actually, after the screening, they screened eight people. But during the interview yesterday, only seven were present; one person was absent. My advice to the new Vice-Chancellor is to keep to what he has said. Together, we shall transform the university,” he said.

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Congratulating the new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ezeonu advised him to work with everyone.

“My candid advice to you is: don’t listen to gossip. Never listen to gossip. Say your prayers and carry everybody along, even those who may be refusing. Use the eyes of an eagle to solve problems. Have the heart of a lion. Don’t hesitate to make inquiries. Don’t take decisions by hearing only one side. Always say, ‘I want to hear the other side of the story,’ because it can make or mar you.

“Carry along even those who competed with you because it is very important for your success. And of course, respect the council. Don’t go into deep dog affairs with them. Listen to them; they will not deceive you. We are pushing to make AE-FUNAI a great, indeed the greatest, university in the South-East. The foundation has been laid by your predecessors, so you must build on it and not castigate it,” he said.

In his acceptance speech, Nwachukwu, a Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology in the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, promised to bring visibility to the institution.

“Previously, I worked at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, for 26 years, where I held various positions. The last was Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. I was the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor. I thank God for bringing me here for a reason, and I want to assure both staff and students of AE-FUNAI that this is a new beginning.

“We are going to work together to make this place great. My primary focus, first and foremost, is infrastructure. The university needs visibility, and the student population is small. You cannot attract students without infrastructure. We also need to engage and dialogue with our host communities to ensure we do the needful for them.

“A university should be a university, not a university and a village combined in one place. I was not pleased when I observed this challenge, but we are going to solve it. The university also needs funds to operate, and we will diversify our internally generated revenue by creating multiple income streams.

“These are our priorities. We will also partner with the private sector to assist in building the infrastructure we desperately need at AE-FUNAI. Thank you all very much,” he stated.