The Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD) of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo (AEFUNAI) in Ebonyi State has received a grant-based donation of $40,000 from Climateworks Foundation to support the Centre for work on Nigeria’s long-term climate goals.
Climateworks Foundation is a global foundation that is into global intelligence, global collaboration and global grant making.
The Director of the Centre, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Prof. Sunday O. Elom, to brief him on the activities of the Centre for the past one year.
Speaking during the visit on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 in the Vice-Chancellor’s office, Prof. Okereke stated that the essence of the visit was to intimate the Vice-Chancellor on the activities of the Centre so far – highlighting its success stories and challenges for the past three years, and also to inform him of the latest donation of $40,000 bequeathed to the Centre for sustained works on Nigeria’s long-term by Climateworks Foundation.
Prof. Chukwumerije noted that the Centre has made giant strides in the climate change community both nationally and at internationally by attracting and executing different climate change projects such as drafting Climate Change Policy for Ebonyi State Government, creating awareness and engaging key stakeholders during the revision of the Nigerian Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as well as the Deep De-Carbonisation Project in collaboration with the Nigerian government and some selected Nigerian universities.
He also stated that the Centre has attended different international events (COP26 in Glasgow) and represented Nigerian universities in a global high-powered meeting on “Climate Reality Leadership Corps Session” hosted by Al Gore, the former Vice President of the United States of America.
Prof. Okereke further notified the Vice-Chancellor that the Centre is now arguably the most dynamic and most popular Climate Change Centre in Africa and that the Federal Government of Nigeria is now looking up to the Centre to assist and help them in executing climate change related projects and events.
He, however, informed the VC that despite the successes that the Centre is making, it (the Centre) is still faced with office space challenge and asked the VC to approve for additional three office spaces close to the Centre to be used for lecture room (equipped with state-of-art teaching gadgets), mini library (to be equipped with laptops and text books) and additional office apartment due to the number of projects the Centre is involved in.
“These office spaces when provided to the Centre will assist us to expand and continue its national and international assignments,” Prof. Chukwumerije stated.
The VC, Prof. Elom, while responding, thanked the Director for the visit and commended the team for the excellent jobs they have been doing which has made the university visible at the international fora. He told the team that the Management was impressed with their activities and promised to meet the request of the Centre which he noted would further strengthen the Centre to achieve more in the future.
The visit witnessed the presentation of the grant letter and a globe to the Vice-Chancellor from the Centre.
By Chinedu Nwasum
