UAES Holds Maiden Convocation on Saturday
… Unveils 20 first class graduates, 505 pioneer studentsÂ
The University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UAES), Umuagwo, will on Saturday, September 5, 2026, hold its maiden convocation ceremony, with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Christopher Chiedozie Eze, describing the event as evidence that the trust reposed in the young institution is being honoured. Addressing journalists on Wednesday ahead of the ceremony, Prof. Eze said the university would graduate 505 pioneer students across two sets, including 20 First-Class graduates.
The Vice-Chancellor said the university had recorded significant progress despite the challenges associated with funding, staffing, infrastructure and security. According to him, the administration had focused on ensuring that resources entrusted to the institution were translated into visible development. “I have not come to you this morning to claim perfection,” he said, adding that the achievements of the university could best be measured through “facts and figures rather than sentiment.”
Prof. Eze highlighted several milestones recorded by UAES since it commenced operations in May 2021, including winning the TETFund National Research Fund grant for three consecutive years and emerging Overall Champion at TETFAIR 2025 with the AgroNova Dryer, a hybrid solar-battery multi-crop drying system patented in November 2025. He also disclosed that the university had completed more than 160 construction and procurement projects between 2022 and 2026, including a 500-capacity lecture hall, renovation of the Faculty of Engineering, rehabilitation of the Medical Centre and solar lighting of hostels.
The Vice-Chancellor further revealed that the university had invested over N100 million in sponsoring 144 staff to attend conferences, while another 288 staff had received various forms of training and 55 were currently on doctoral scholarships. He said UAES had also secured continental curriculum development work from the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) for its Neglected and Underutilised Species Programme, describing the development as a reflection of the institution’s growing research profile.
Prof. Eze appealed for increased support from donors, research institutions, development agencies and the private sector, stressing that universities could not be built through government subvention alone. He specifically sought support for scholarships for high-performing students, expansion of hostels and laboratories, and further development of the university library. “We have shown that this University can deliver credible, fundable, patentable work. We are ready to do more of it, with more partners, at greater scale,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor, a Professor of Agricultural Economics whose areas of specialisation include agricultural economics, agribusiness management and rural finance, disclosed that UAES had cumulatively admitted 2,355 students, with about 2,237 currently on campus. He said the institution was focused on producing graduates equipped to become job creators through training in agriculture, environmental sciences and entrepreneurship. Admission for the 2026/2027 academic session is ongoing. Prof. Eze also took journalists on a tour of some facilities, including a solar-powered processing plant, and thanked members of the media for their support while inviting them to the maiden convocation.
