Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has officially inaugurated the Prof. Ngozi Egbuna International Centre for Regional Integration and Trade Research, a facility supported by Afreximbank and dedicated to advancing trade policy research and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The newly established centre is designed to serve as a hub for research, innovation, capacity development, and policy engagement, with a strong focus on strengthening intra-African trade and driving economic transformation across the continent.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, described the centre as a strategic investment that elevates UNIZIK’s role in key areas such as trade policy, industrial development, digital trade, and regional integration.
He emphasized that beyond its physical infrastructure, the centre’s true value lies in its ability to generate impactful research and ideas that can shape public policy and support sustainable development across Africa. He also noted that the facility would foster collaboration among researchers, policymakers, governments, and private sector stakeholders to develop practical, evidence-based solutions to Africa’s economic challenges.
Prof. Anyaehie commended Afreximbank for its support in funding the project and acknowledged the contributions of former Vice-Chancellors—Prof. Charles Esimone, Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu, and Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi—for sustaining the initiative through successive administrations.
Founder of the centre, Prof. Ngozi Egbuna, stated that the initiative was conceived to deepen scholarship in regional integration and trade, while also producing practical solutions to Africa’s development challenges. She highlighted the centre’s commitment to high-quality research, policy advocacy, and the development of future leaders who will drive Africa’s integration agenda forward.
The inauguration follows recent international recognition of Prof. Egbuna’s work. The Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, recently highlighted her book, “ECOWAS Regional Integration: The West African Monetary Zone Experience,” on X, describing her as one of the continent’s outstanding women trade experts.
Prof. Egbuna, Nigeria’s first WTO Chair under the WTO Chairs Programme and former Director-General of the West African Monetary Institute, expressed appreciation to Afreximbank, the university management, and all stakeholders whose support ensured the successful completion of the project.
In a goodwill message, Afreximbank’s Manager for Client Relations in the Anglophone West African Region, Mrs. Obioma Iweka, described the centre as a strategic investment in knowledge creation and capacity building. She reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting institutions that foster research, innovation, and workforce development necessary for deepening intra-African trade under the AfCFTA framework.
Mrs. Iweka further disclosed that Afreximbank would strengthen its partnership with the university through collaborative research initiatives, internship programmes, faculty exchanges, capacity-building efforts, and an annual lecture series focused on trade and regional integration.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Governing Council and Pro-Chancellor of the university, Barr. Olugbenga Kukoyi, expressed confidence that the centre would significantly advance policy research, innovation, and strategic collaboration, ultimately contributing to Africa’s economic growth and regional integration.
