Keystone Bank Chairman, Lady Chukwudozie, Assures University-Industry Partnership at Ojukwu University

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Keystone Bank Limited, Lady Ada Chukwudozie, has unveiled her plans to collaborate with Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) in Anambra State through a University-Industry Partnership, introduction of an Innovation Hub, and empowerment of students through agriculture and technical skills.

Speaking after being conferred with a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree (Honoris Causa) by the University over the weekend, Lady Chukwudozie, who is the Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Southeast zone, said she was inspired by the legacy of Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, father of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, after whom the university is named, considering what he did in the days of regional government in Nigeria, to also leave a legacy project for the university.

Lady Chukwudozie expressed joy over the conferment of the honorary doctorate degree award on her, saying the honor is a call and a charge to do more. “I promised the school that I’m going to leave a legacy project behind,” she said. “This legacy project is also a project I’ve been nursing in my heart, reminiscent of what Sir Louis Ojukwu did decades ago in conjunction with M.I. Okpara. He was very instrumental in making the southeastern region grow in terms of their GDP. They grew their GDP at 9% for almost 10 years successively.

“Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, his son, was a great icon of Nigeria because of his conviction, courage, and intellectual fire. He believed so much in self-reliance and a dignified people. Today, we’ve assembled here to remember their legacies, and I’m so honored and delighted. I feel that it’s a great privilege to connect to this icon through this university. I see this as a call and a charge to continue in the path they’ve laid before us. It’s not an easy feat to be singled out for this honor.”

She remarked that she was wondering what she could do for the university to impact society, finding herself as Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria until she came up with a well-thought-out initiative. “It’s a University-Industry Partnership for Sustainable Development that is anchored on income-generating projects that are geared towards agriculture and human capital development,” she explained. “We’re looking forward to empowering our youths to embrace agriculture. We want to make agriculture very attractive by embracing modern methods of agricultural farming.”

“We’ve observed that the economy is struggling and inflation is high,” she said. “To combat inflation, we need to boost production, and a quick win would be to implement backward integration in farming. However, this time around, we won’t be relying on traditional methods. Instead, we plan to introduce simple agricultural tools and high-yield seedlings that will enable us to grow crops in large volumes.”

“We need to do something quite innovative and intentional by going into massive production of products to sustain the current progress made by the CBN governor and the current government,” she added. “We need to support what the state is doing and increase production. We need to create wealth, create jobs, and make food sufficient for consumption, enough to supply feedstock for the industry.”

The Executive Director of Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited said she is looking at partnering with the university in areas of crop production, focusing on habanero pepper for export and local consumption, and also empowering students to be self-reliant. “We aim to empower indigent students for life through a comprehensive program,” she said. “Our ‘living engine of empowerment’ initiative focuses on animal husbandry, specifically piggery. We plan to sponsor 50 indigent students by providing them with pig pens and high-breeding pigs. We’ll also manage the farms for them, ensuring that by the next academic session, they’ll be able to pay their school fees and become self-sufficient. By the time they graduate, they’ll have a thriving farm that generates income, eliminating concerns about starting their lives after school.”

“We’ll also establish an Innovation Hub, starting with mechanized agriculture,” she added. “We’ll import machines from China, which will serve as training tools for students to learn maintenance, coupling, and decoupling. Additionally, we’ll equip the hub with engineering tools, enabling students to fabricate simple machines locally, providing solutions to local challenges. Furthermore, we’re exploring logistics innovation, including introducing EV mini-buses. This will not only provide transportation but also create opportunities for skill acquisition, as students will learn to assemble, maintain, and even fabricate buses, with only batteries imported. I’m excited to collaborate with other members of the organized private sector, creating a platform for partnership and innovation,” she stated.

Lady Chukwudozie thanked everyone who came to celebrate with her as she received the award, particularly the management and staff of Keystone Bank, including the MD, Hassan Iman, describing it as a testament to the good working relationship existing among them.

In his remarks, Mr. Hassan Imam, the MD/CEO of Keystone Bank Limited, thanked Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University for honoring their Board Chairman, Lady Ada Chukwudozie, and described her as deserving of the award given her commitment, dedication, and selfless service.

“For us at Keystone Bank, this is a great achievement for all of us, and we are not really surprised given her commitment, dedication, and selfless service to humanity.”

“This award is not only to you and your family; it is to all of us, and we are happy that we are part of this great occasion,” Imam said.

Lady Ada Chukwudozie was accompanied by her beloved husband, Dr. Daniel Chukwudozie, and other senior management team of Keystone Bank. Members of the Anambra Council of Traditional Rulers, Great Pillars of Anambra Brothers Club, Okija Big Brothers Assembly, as well as the National Executives of Members of National Union of Anambra State Students (NUASS) were also in attendance.

The university management, while conferring the award on Lady Chukwudozie, said she was being honored for her supportive role in the university’s learned society activities, such as Girls and Tech, Young Scientists, and Future Innovators, among others.

“She is a friend of the University, having been supportive of the learned society activities such as Girls and Tech, Young Scientists, and Future Innovators. She is quite passionate about putting Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University on the global map in agricultural exportation,”

She was decorated by the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman Governing Council, Professor Chidi A. Odinkalu, and assisted by the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha, FNIPR, and the Honorable Commissioner for Education, Anambra State, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh.