Emerald Reporters

An Open Letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

On the 55-Year Closure of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

📅 Tuesday (Eke), October 28, 2025
✍️ By Obi Kingzley, Editor | Publisher, Emerald Reporters & Prinzopress

Your Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,
Long before your emergence as President in 2023, Nigerians knew you as a fearless nationalist — a man who risked everything to confront dictatorship and defend democracy. You stood on the side of justice when it was neither convenient nor safe to do so.

Today, Emerald Reporters wishes to draw your attention to a painful and unprogressive relic of the Nigerian Civil War that continues to stain our nation’s conscience — the continued shutdown of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), 55 years after the war ended.

A Forgotten Wound in Nigeria’s Educational History
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, remains a symbol of indigenous innovation and national pride. Established in 1955 under the visionary leadership of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, it became Nigeria’s first fully autonomous and indigenous university — years before the University of Ibadan gained its independence from the University of London in 1962.
UNN was modeled after Michigan State University, USA, emphasizing American-style pragmatic education — designed to produce problem solvers in engineering, agriculture, medicine, and technology who would drive local industrial growth and self-reliance.

Unlike colonial educational models that trained clerks for administrative roles, Nsukka’s philosophy was simple: education must serve the economy.

War, Innovation, and Punishment
When the Civil War broke out in 1967, the university was tragically caught in the storm. Students and graduates, particularly from the Department of Chemical Engineering, were drawn into the defense of their people under the Biafran Research and Production (RAP) Directorate.

In one of the most remarkable episodes in African innovation, these young engineers and scientists designed and built:
Rockets and armoured vehicles
Modular refineries that processed crude oil into fuel
Communication devices and military-grade equipment — all under a full blockade.
Rather than celebrating such ingenuity as a foundation for post-war technological development, the Federal Government of Nigeria punished it. In 1970, the Department of Chemical Engineering at UNN was ordered shut down — reportedly because of the role its students and graduates played in sustaining the Biafran war effort.

For 55 years, that punitive closure has remained a silent indictment on national unity and intellectual freedom.

The Broader Pattern: Suppression of Innovation
The closure echoes a recurring tragedy in Nigeria’s history — a tendency to suppress, rather than support, indigenous ingenuity.
In 1997, Engr. Ezekiel Izuogu, an electrical engineer from Imo State, developed Africa’s first indigenous prototype car — the Z-600, using 90% locally sourced materials.

Instead of receiving the government’s promised support, his workshop was raided in 2000, and his equipment and drawings were destroyed.

The dream of Nigeria’s first locally manufactured car died in silence.
No nation that suppresses innovation can prosper. Nations like Japan, Singapore, and South Korea rose from post-war ruins to global prominence by empowering, not punishing, their inventors.

The Case for Justice and National Reconciliation
It is unjustifiable and profoundly unpatriotic to continue the closure of UNN’s Department of Chemical Engineering — a department that once symbolized the ingenuity of Eastern Nigeria and, by extension, of the Nigerian people.

Emerald Reporters therefore calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a statesman and reformer, to:
Order the immediate reopening and full restoration of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Mandate a national review of post-war policies that hinder technological education and regional development.

Establish a Presidential Innovation and Reconciliation Fund to support research, engineering, and science projects in universities affected by past political discrimination.
Such action would not only heal a 55-year-old wound but also serve as a powerful symbol of national rebirth — a statement that Nigeria rewards excellence and forgives the past.

A Moral and Historical Imperative
Your Excellency, this is more than a call for academic reform.
It is a plea for historical justice, unity, and the rebirth of Nigerian innovation.
For 55 years, that closure has stood as an invisible wall dividing progress from politics. The time to end it is now — under the leadership of a democratically elected President who understands the language of equity, reform, and national reconciliation.

In Conclusion
“No country that loves itself destroys its inventors.”
— Obi Kingzley, Editor

Mr. President, restoring the Department of Chemical Engineering at UNN will not only correct a historic wrong but will also ignite a new era of confidence, hope, and creativity in Nigerian academia.

Let history remember that under your administration, truth triumphed over prejudice, and justice restored unity.

Signed:
Obi Kingzley
Editor, ObiColumn
Publisher, Emerald Reporters | Prinzopress
Advocate for Good Governance & National Rebirth

𝔼𝕄𝔼ℝ𝔸𝕃𝔻 ℝ𝔼ℙ𝕆ℝ𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕊 - #ᴇʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛᴀ
ͯBͯͯrͯͯeͯͯaͯͯkͯͯiͯͯnͯͯgͯ ͯNͯͯeͯͯwͯͯsͯ | Tinubu in Brazil: Fresh MoUs Stir Optimism Amid Skepticism.

•Obi Kingzley Reports

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Brazil concluded with the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengthening ties between Nigeria and South America’s largest economy. Standing with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília, Tinubu announced new frameworks for cooperation in trade, investment, cultural exchange, and, most prominently, the establishment of direct flights between Lagos and São Paulo.

For many Nigerians and Brazilians, the prospect of direct flights comes as welcome news. For decades, travellers between both countries have relied on long, costly stopovers in Europe or North America. A direct air link promises to shorten journeys, reduce expenses, and expand opportunities for business and tourism. For exporters and investors, it could simplify logistics and open access to markets that have remained underutilised.

To underline the significance of the moment, Tinubu and his delegation returned to Lagos aboard the maiden Air Peace flight from Brazil. For Nigeria’s largest private airline, the flight was a landmark step and a chance to demonstrate the capacity of local operators to provide intercontinental connections long absent from the country’s aviation landscape.

Yet the announcement also invites caution. Nigeria has signed many MoUs in the past that have not translated into sustained implementation. Direct flights require more than political declarations: they depend on reliable passenger demand, competitive pricing, strong regulatory oversight, and consistent operational standards. The aviation industry is challenging even in mature markets, and one misstep can quickly make a new route unsustainable.

Air Peace has expanded impressively across Africa and into long-haul services, but maintaining the Lagos–São Paulo link will require more than ambition. Rising fuel costs, currency instability, and infrastructural gaps all present risks. Without coherent government support and policy continuity, even promising ventures may struggle. The test will be whether this route becomes a fixture of Nigeria’s global connectivity or fades after an initial burst of enthusiasm.

Economically, the rationale for closer ties with Brazil is strong. Nigeria supplies oil and gas to the Brazilian market, while Brazil exports industrial machinery, food products, and manufactured goods. Streamlined connections could reduce trade barriers and stimulate growth in areas such as agriculture, energy, and manufacturing. Beyond economics, the partnership also carries cultural resonance. Brazil hosts the largest Black population outside Africa, with Yoruba traditions deeply rooted in its society. Direct flights symbolise not just commerce but a reconnection of histories and identities across the Atlantic.

Still, experience tempers optimism. Nigeria’s history of ambitious announcements followed by limited follow-through fuels scepticism among citizens and investors alike. The key question is whether this initiative will produce measurable gains: increased trade volumes, stronger tourism flows, and more durable economic partnerships. Without clear results, it risks being remembered as another well-intentioned but unrealised plan.

Diplomatically, the visit reflects Nigeria’s effort to diversify its alliances. Engaging Brazil, a BRICS member and an influential emerging economy, signals interest in building stronger South–South cooperation. This is strategically sensible, but it will only matter if Nigeria develops the administrative and institutional capacity to sustain such partnerships beyond presidential visits and ceremonial gestures.

As the Air Peace flight landed in Lagos, it brought home not only the President and his delegation but also raised expectations. Nigerians want foreign engagements that deliver tangible benefits — jobs, investments, and opportunities that improve daily life. The Brazil agreements could help achieve this if properly managed.

Whether they become a turning point or another missed opportunity will depend on implementation. For now, optimism is tempered by caution, and the responsibility to turn promises into outcomes rests squarely with Nigeria’s leadership.

READ MORE: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbB2yAm6LwHs97Sjyk0S
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