By Praise Chinecherem
ACTING Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka, Professor Carol Arinze-Umobi has thrown her weight behind the ongoing bamboo revolution being championed by the Sahelian Institute for Bamboo Research and Entrepreneurship Development (SIBRED).
SIBRED, headquartered at NAU, is the first University based bamboo research instituted serving Nigeria and 15 other West African nations including neighbouring countries.
The Vice Chancellor made the pledge when SIBRED delegation led by its Founding Director, John Agbo Ogbodo, paid a courtesy visit to her office to share the vision and mission of the institute with her.
Responding to the presentation by the Director, Arinze-Umobi said, “I have visited China for up to five six times. And each time, I see amazing things they were doing with bamboo. For me now to be told that the thing is coming down here, I will want to grab it with my two arms.
“I thank God that the revolution is here properly driven by John and his able lieutenants. Whatever we can do to make it thrive, I will not be a stumbling block.
“I appeal to you to represent the school, the country and Africa well in the eyes of the world. Once again, I assure you of the support of the university,” she concluded.
Earlier, the SIBRED Founding Director, Ogbodo had told the first female VC of NAU that the institute established one year ago had recorded some modest feats from inauguration to the first International Bamboo Congress, (SACOBAR ’24) as well as progressive synergy with some international organisations all in a bid to fast track the attainment of its goal of revolutionising the bamboo and rattan industry in West Africa and beyond.
“SIBRED was officially inaugurated last year. This year, because of the partnership we have with the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, one of our staff was sent to China for two week on Bamboo Value Chain Development. We were able to have a journal named International Journal on Bamboo and Rattan. It is the second journal of this value chain across the globe. The first one is in the University of British Columbia in Canada. We are working to partner the second edition in partnership with NGPI in Switzerland. Apart from the journal in Faculty of Law, this is the second journal from the university that is going to be on NGPI.
According to Ogbodo, the institute which is still sustained by members contribution and aid from partners in the US and China, also hosted the first international congress in May this year to showcase our research lines and what they are doing on research on entrepreneurship relating to bamboo and rattan.
“For the congress, we invited secondary schools in Anambra State. Some of them partook and we were not able to give them awards. But, we have concluded plans to do that during the celebration of the World Bamboo Day.
“The chairman of the Board of SIBRED is the Minister of Environment while the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University is the co-chair. The Secretary of the Board is the Regional Director of INBAR in Ghana.
“Our visit is to brief you of what we have done so far and to solicit for your support that will undoubtedly enable us to actualise our goal and objectives,” Ogbodo concluded
