Iruoma Okpalaebube
Alumni of the University of Port Harcourt, has revealed the plan to embark on bakery and bottled water plant project, a way to support entrepreneurship and job creation within the school environment.
Chairman, Board of Trustees and the National President of the University Alumni Association, Prince Tonye T.J.T Princewill and Senator Darlington Nwokocha, disclosed this, when they held an engagement with the University’s Student Union Government (SUG), in Port Harcourt.
The engagement Omable African News learnt was part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the University.
The gathering, which took place on Alumni Day of the 50th Anniversary celebrations, was described by students as unprecedented in the history of alumni-student relations at the university.
In his remarks, the Chairman Board of Trustees, Prince Princewill told the students that he was not only a product of Uniport, but also a child of the University.
He encouraged the students to be focused and ambitious and noted that the alumni body was eager to support students even through mentorship, scholarships, and job placements, adding that they had to show that they wanted it.
“We are watching for serious students. Help us find you, and we will support you”, he said.
Speaking also, Senator Nwokocha called on the students to take their studies seriously and prepare themselves to become valuable and impactful alumni in the future.
Reflecting on his own journey, he noted: “We built our confidence from UniPort. This is where it all started”.
The President used the occasion to present the Association’s Legacy Projects, a bold 3-year development initiative designed to uplift the university community and deepen alumni impact.
The projects include: “Premium accommodation for top-performing students, University Library and Museum with an Alumni Hall of Fame, an Agric hub for greenhouse farming and food packaging, bakery and bottled water plant, to support entrepreneurship and job creation.
He emphasised that students are not only beneficiaries of the projects but potential collaborators in shaping a future of excellence and opportunity at the university.
In his response, the SUG President, Harmony Lawrence, lauded the unprecedented visit, describing it as a “historic show of interest and solidarity” by the alumni.
“This is the first time a sitting National President of the Alumni Association has made a deliberate effort to meet with us. We are grateful and encouraged”, he said.
Also, the National Secretary General, Phil Biobele Okoroafor, urged students to keep their eyes on the prize: “There is reward at the end of this journey. We believe in you, and we look forward to welcoming you proudly into the alumni fold”.