![Abandoned Promise: How UNIZIK's Neglect Of Ifite-Ogwari Campus Threatens Nigeria's Food Security [Video]](https://www.primebusiness.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/UNIZIK-Ifite-Ogawari-Campus-Faculty-of-Agriculture-jpg.webp)
MARCEL MBAMALUNineteen years ago, the community of Ifite-Ogwari in Anambra State made a historic sacrifice, donating 120 hectares of prime farmland to Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) to establish a Faculty of Agriculture. But today, the faculty lies abandoned, a symbol of wasted potential in a country grappling with one of its worst food crises in decades. As Nigeria struggles to feed its population, the neglect of the Ifite-Ogwari campus raises critical questions about the country’s commitment to agricultural development and food security.
“Most of us at the Ifite-Ogwari campus are relocating to Awka. We realised that nearly all our lectures are online or at Awka. Sometimes, we pay for accommodation at Ifite-Ogwari but end up spending only two weeks there; mostly during exams or accreditation.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThis is the voice of one of the frustrated students of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Even when there were so many opportunities for the agricultural students of this institution, mismanagement and neglect have left them stranded.
A Community’s Dream, A University’s Neglect
The expectation was simple: in exchange for this gift, the university would empower the Ifite-Ogwari community by creating employment opportunities, introducing modern agricultural techniques, and developing a hub for research and practical learning. The National Universities Commission (NUC) had reportedly mandated land acquisition as a critical requirement for faculty approval, further convincing Ifite-Ogwari that their sacrifice was essential. Today, that dream lies in ruins.
The land remains largely unused, barren, and forgotten. The promised faculty stands as an empty shell, its imposing structures decaying. Meanwhile, UNIZIK continues to graduate agriculture students from the urban confines of Awka, where they have little to no opportunity for hands-on farming experience.
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The Community’s Generosities to the University
Ifite-Ogwari did more than just donate land. In the years that followed, the community invested heavily in ensuring the faculty took off successfully. They provided free accommodation to staff and students, with some peasant farmers offering their only rooms, despite paying rent for their children in Awka. They dedicated community development funds from the Anambra State Government to build hostels for students.
They also facilitated the certificate of occupancy (CofO) for the land, a process that usually takes years, and convinced then-Governor Willie Obiano to waive the ₦17.5 million fee. They mobilised financial support for faculty operations, contributing over ₦4 million at different times. They secured government road construction leading to the faculty.
They also provided land for students’ cooperative farming, hoping to encourage agro-economic activities. But despite these efforts, UNIZIK failed to uphold its end of the bargain.
Between 2015 and 2024, the university repeatedly made promises to relocate the faculty but found new excuses each time. First, it was the lack of buildings, until the community intervened. Then came the lack of student accommodation, which the community provided. Next, it was the absence of a take-off grant, leading the community to raise ₦1 million to facilitate the process. Still, the faculty never fully moved.
Ifite-Ogwari Campus Abandonment Adds to Students’ Frustration
UNIZIK students are not only frustrated but also confused about the university’s handling of the Faculty of Agriculture. “Last year, students at Ifite-Ogwari were sent for industrial training (IT) at Songhai Farms, some to Ghana, and others to Owerri. What is the essence of having nearly 120 hectares if we cannot do our IT at Ifite-Ogwari?” a student questioned.
Investigations also reveal that donated and purchased farm equipment, including tractors meant for Ifite-Ogwari, are lying waste at the Awka campus. The buildings at Ifite-Ogwari are overgrown with grass, confirming inactivity for months. This raises serious concerns:
UNIZIK’s Lost Opportunity in Solving Nigeria’s Food Crisis: The Wasted Potential
The faculty’s abandoned buildings have become security threats, attracting criminals and vandals. Community vigilantes have apprehended suspected bandits attempting to steal from the deserted structures.
The next bushfire might feed on this project, and that becomes the new story of why the faculty is not functional, while agriculture students at UNIZIK continue to receive a substandard education, lacking the practical exposure required for expertise in farming and food production.
The consequences of this neglect are dire, not just for Ifite-Ogwari but for the entire country. At a time when Nigeria is facing one of its worst food crises in decades, a faculty meant to drive agricultural innovation and research has been reduced to a symbol of wasted potential. Currently, 26 million Nigerians are experiencing acute hunger, and food inflation stands at 40.7 percent, the highest in 25 years. The 2023 Global Hunger Index ranks Nigeria 109th out of 125 countries, underscoring the severity of the crisis.
Ifite-Ogwari’s underutilised land could have played a critical role in boosting local food production.
Instead of being a beacon of hope in tackling food insecurity, the Faculty of Agriculture in Ifite-Ogwari has been left to decay. The university has access to vast, arable land that could serve as a centre for research and food production, yet it continues to underutilise this resource.
Other universities, such as the University of Agriculture in Sokoine, Tanzania, have successfully transformed their agricultural faculties into research hubs, combining academic knowledge with practical farming and commercial production. UNIZIK, however, has allowed bureaucracy and negligence to overshadow its potential contributions to food security.
READ ALSO: Lessons For UNN From UNIZIK’s Vice-Chancellor Controversies
The Anambra River Basin Development Authority, which has its headquarters in Ifite-Ogwari, could play a crucial role in supporting irrigation and large-scale farming at the faculty, yet it remains underutilised. The government’s failure to revitalise river basin development authorities across Nigeria has further worsened the country’s agricultural productivity. If these facilities were properly managed, they could provide water for irrigation, fisheries projects, and year-round farming, ensuring that farmers can produce food consistently despite the challenges of climate change.
Ifite-Ogwari Demands Answers
Why has UNIZIK, after nearly two decades, failed to properly establish and relocate the Faculty of Agriculture? Why does the university continue to ignore a resource-rich campus, instead choosing to keep students in the congested urban setting of Awka?
What is the utilisation rate of the donated hectares of land after 19 years? Why are most lectures held in Awka, instead of Ifite-Ogwari, where students could gain practical experience? If UNIZIK has access to vast, arable land, why has it not taken advantage of its agricultural potential to generate revenue and contribute to Nigeria’s food security?
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, must intervene and ensure that UNIZIK fulfils its obligation to Ifite-Ogwari and the nation. Likewise, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK, Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu, must immediately take concrete steps towards relocating the Faculty of Agriculture and utilising the land for its intended purpose.
Following an inquiry by Prime Business Africa, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at UNIZIK, Professor Ifeoma Ebenebe, said students of Crop Science still use the Ifite- Ogwari facilities while students of other departments within the faculty are sent to other competent facilities across the country.
“Faculty of Agriculture,” according to Prof Ebenebe, “is made up of seven departments: Agricultural Economics and Extension, Animal Science, Crop Science, Fisheries and Aquaculture Management, Food Science and Technology, Forestry and Wildlife Management, Soil Science. Land alone is not used for Industrial training. Forestry Department all over the country sends their students to the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan for Industrial training, Fisheries Department sends their students to ARAC in Port Harcourt. Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) specification for Animal Science students is standard livestock farm, Food Science similarly is to Confectionery industries, etc, thus only Crop Science and Soil science use land for industrial training and they are making use of Ifite-Ogwari land.”
The Agric Professor continued: “Songhai farm in Owerri has everything required by all the departments except Forestry. They have a standard bakery, Oil palm and Garri processing plants as well as juice-making units, serving all the needs of Food Science students. They have modern concrete, earthen ponds as well as fish hatching units creating a complete unit for Fisheries and Aquaculture units. They have standard poultry, rabbitry, Piggery, goatry, grasscutter farm and cattle ranch meeting the needs of the Animal Science department. Then their business and marketing unit meet the needs of Agricultural Economics students. Their vast land for cultivation of Yam, maize, Cassava, cucumber, watermelon, cabbage, etc serves the Crop Science department. It is an integrated Agricultural Farm”
From Community Betrayal to a Nation at a Loss
The relationship between Ifite-Ogwari and UNIZIK has become a tragic metaphor; a proverbial death sting that rejects every solution offered because it was never truly looking for one. If UNIZIK fails to act, Ifite-Ogwari may have no choice but to reclaim its land, a move that would not only expose the university’s negligence but also raise serious ethical and legal questions about land acquisition for educational purposes in Nigeria.
UNIZIK has an opportunity to right its wrongs. But time is running out. For the people of Ifite-Ogwari, for the future of agricultural education, and for the food security of Nigeria, the university must act before history records this as yet another tale of betrayal, waste, and lost potential.
Dr Mbamalu, a Jefferson Journalism Fellow, member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors ( NGE) and Media Consultant is the publisher of Prime Business Africa
Dr. Marcel Mbamalu is a communication scholar, journalist and entrepreneur. He holds a Ph.D in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and is the Chief Executive Officer Newstide Publications, the publishers of Prime Business Africa.
A seasoned journalist, he horned his journalism skills at The Guardian Newspaper, rising to the position of News Editor at the flagship of the Nigerian press. He has garnered multidisciplinary experience in marketing communication, public relations and media research, helping clients to deliver bespoke campaigns within Nigeria and across Africa.
He has built an expansive network in the media and has served as a media trainer for World Health Organisation (WHO) at various times in Northeast Nigeria. He has attended numerous media trainings, including the Bloomberg Financial Journalism Training and Reuters/AfDB training on Effective Coverage of Infrastructural Development of Africa.
A versatile media expert, he won the Jefferson Fellowship in 2023 as the sole Africa representative on the program. Dr Mbamalu was part of a global media team that covered the 2020 United State’s Presidential election. As Africa's sole representative in the 2023 Jefferson Fellowships, Dr Mbamalu was selected to tour the United States and Asia (Japan and Hong Kong) as part of a 12-man global team of journalists on a travel grant to report on inclusion, income gaps and migration issues between the US and Asia.
![Abandoned Promise: How UNIZIK's Neglect Of Ifite-Ogwari Campus Threatens Nigeria's Food Security [Video]](https://www.primebusiness.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/UNIZIK-Ifite-Ogawari-Campus-Faculty-of-Agriculture-480x384.jpg)
