Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has commissioned the Professor Ngozi Egbuna International Centre for Regional Integration and Trade Research (ICRITR), an Afreximbank-funded facility established to strengthen research, policy development and capacity building in support of Africa’s economic integration and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Centre was inaugurated by the University’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Barrister Olugbenga Kukoyi, who described the project as a landmark achievement and commended the Centre’s Director, Professor Ngozi Egbuna, for her vision, dedication and perseverance.
He expressed confidence that the Centre would become a leading platform for research, innovation and regional collaboration, contributing significantly to Africa’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bond Stanley Anyaehie, described the commissioning as a notable milestone in the university’s commitment to academic excellence, impactful research and regional cooperation.
He said the Centre would position UNIZIK as a leading institution in trade policy, regional integration, industrial development and digital trade research, while providing a platform for collaboration among academia, governments, policymakers and the private sector.
Professor Anyaehie thanked Afreximbank for financing the project and acknowledged the contributions of former Vice-Chancellors Professors Charles Esimone, Joseph Ikechebelu and Carol Arinze-Umobi, whose administrations sustained the initiative.
He also commended Professor Egbuna, the Building Project Committee, the University’s Physical Planning and Works Department and the contractors for successfully delivering the facility.
In her welcome address, Professor Egbuna described the commissioning as the fulfilment of a long-held vision to establish a world-class centre dedicated to advancing scholarship, shaping public policy and promoting regional integration through research and innovation.
She said the Centre has grown rapidly since its establishment in 2023 by developing postgraduate and executive education programmes, expanding research on AfCFTA, digital trade, trade finance and regional integration, and building strategic partnerships with national and international institutions.
She said the Centre’s next phase would focus on becoming Africa’s leading think-tank on AfCFTA implementation by strengthening research, expanding postgraduate education and executive training, deepening partnerships with governments and international organisations, and producing the next generation of African trade negotiators, policymakers and business leaders.
Delivering Afreximbank’s goodwill message, the bank’s Manager for Client Relations, Anglophone West Africa, Mrs. Obioma Iweka, described the Centre as a critical investment in knowledge creation, policy dialogue and human capital development.
She reaffirmed Afreximbank’s commitment to supporting intra-African trade through stronger partnerships with the university, including collaborative research, capacity-building programmes, internships, faculty exchanges and an annual Afreximbank-sponsored lecture series.
The facility comprises of modern lecture halls, research offices, conference facilities and collaborative workspaces designed to support multidisciplinary research, executive training and international policy dialogue.
It is expected to serve as a continental hub for research and capacity building, advancing regional integration, trade competitiveness and sustainable economic development across Africa.
