By Paul Ezenwa
The ongoing transformation at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, is repositioning the institution for renewed academic excellence, improved infrastructure and sustainable development, with the Edo State Government’s interventions providing critical support for the university’s growth.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eunice Eboiserehimen Omonzejie, disclosed this on Thursday, October 1, 2026, during a courtesy visit to the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin City.
Prof. Omonzejie said Governor Monday Okpebholo’s decision to strengthen the university’s funding and provide sustained institutional support had created a more stable platform for management to pursue its academic and developmental objectives. She recalled that the Governor, from the outset of his administration, publicly committed to restoring and increasing the university’s subvention, describing the intervention as a turning point in the institution’s renewed development trajectory.
According to her, the support has extended beyond funding to security, infrastructure and academic facilities, with major projects now advancing across the campus. These include the Edo State Government-supported College of Medicine complex, two 300-bedspace medical students’ hostels, twin 300-capacity lecture theatres and three 500-capacity lecture theatres. The projects are designed to strengthen teaching, learning and professional training while improving the university’s readiness for sustained academic growth.
The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted workers’ welfare as a central component of the administration’s reform agenda, noting that Edo State had approved implementation of the new Federal Government salary structure for university workers. She said AAU had commenced payment under the new structure from the September 2026 salary cycle, describing the decision as a significant demonstration of the Governor’s commitment to staff welfare and industrial stability. She further stated that AAU was the first state-owned university in Nigeria to commence implementation of the new structure.
Another major component of the transformation is the university’s emerging renewable-energy infrastructure. Prof. Omonzejie said construction of a TETFund-supported solar farm was progressing, with solar panels already arriving on campus for the planned installation of a 7.5MW mini-grid. She said the project is expected to provide reliable power across the university, substantially reduce dependence on the national grid and diesel generators, and lower the cost of powering academic and administrative activities.
The Vice-Chancellor also said the university was strengthening its intellectual culture through initiatives such as an Open Science Week, where research and innovations from departments across the institution would be presented to the wider public. She said the objective was to make research more visible, encourage collaboration and reinforce the university’s role in generating knowledge and solutions relevant to society.
She also announced plans to attract private-sector participation in what the university has termed its “Legacy Projects”, particularly in student and staff accommodation. With a large proportion of students currently residing outside the campus, she said the university was making designated land available to credible investors under mutually agreed lease arrangements, with the broader objective of gradually repopulating the campus, reducing accommodation pressures and creating a more integrated academic community.
Responding, Edo NUJ Chairman, Mr. Festus Alenkhe, commended the Vice-Chancellor for the visit and pledged stronger collaboration between the media and the university. He also acknowledged the Edo State Government’s intervention in AAU, particularly its attention to workers’ welfare and the implementation of the new salary structure, stressing the importance of sustained institutional support in strengthening the university’s contribution to education and development in Edo State.
