All roads lead to the University of Nigeria on Monday, June 4, 2018, for the 14th Eni Njoku Memorial lecture to be delivered by Professor Michael Adikwu, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, under the Chairmanship of the Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.
Speaking in an interview to newsmen in his office, the Dean, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Prof Jerry Ugwuanyi, said Senator Hope Uzodinma would also feature as a guest lecturer, while the Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojishola Adeyeye, would present the Keynote speech.
Also expected at the lecture, according to the Prof Ugwuanyi, is the Governor of Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the Chief Host.
He explained that Eni Njoku memorial lecturers were usually selected among the pool of people who had distinguished themselves in academics and in politics.
The Dean said the faculty board had taken time to select distinguished personalities to deliver the 14th series of the biennial memorial lecture on the theme, “Preserving the Legacies of our Heroes”.
“Professors Adikwu and Adeyeye are scientist that have arrived, while Senator Uzodinma is a successful politician,” Ugwuanyi said while explaining the reason for the selection of the 14th Memorial Lecturers.
The Dean further explained that the memorial lecture was started thirty years ago by the Faculty of Biological Sciences, to immortalise Professor Eni Nkoku, the 3rd Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria and member of the faculty.
He described Eni-Njoku, who died in 1974, as “an outstanding scholar of global stature” whose pioneer work in photoperiodism provided inspiration to many members of the faculty.
“Today, our Department of Botany is the best in plant physiology, courtesy of the inspiration and mentorship provided by Prof Eni Njoku,” Prof Ugwuanyi said
Eni-Njoku, according to Ugwuanyi, was also the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 1963-1966 as well as the 1st indigenous Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria from 1967-1970.
“Our Faculty holds him quite dearly because of his contributions to our growth especially our Department of Botany,” Professor Ugwuanyi said.
Ugwuanyi said the lecture series provided a platform to further the interaction between the town and the gown for the purpose of growth and development of the country.
He said the 14th series was unique because of its target to mobilise equipment to develop the faculty’s research laboratory. “We want to advance the capacity of our postgraduate students to initiate and finish their experiments in our laboratory,” Ugwuanyi said while calling on good spirited individuals to donate laboratory equipment to the faculty.
