The former provost of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri (AIFCE), Dr. Stella Lemchi has commended the Federal Government for upgrading the institution to a university status.

Lemchi, who is now the acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor, (DVC) also expressed the institution’s  gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma for performing the feat.

She said: “We bring you warm greetings from the entire Community of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri. This is to acquaint you with the current reality and status of our institution formerly known as Alvan Ikoku College of Education, and now the Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri”.

The DVC thanked President Bola Tinubu for the consistent policy of his administration to ensure that the journey that started 60 years ago came to reality. Lemchi also expressed the institution’s gratitude to the State Governor, Hope Uzodimma.

On the history of the institution, Lemchi added: “The journey that recently culminated in the upgrade of our institution started in 1963, when, on the recommendation of the Ashby Commission, the institution was established as the Advanced Teacher Training College, Owerri under the auspices of UNESCO on behalf of the United Nations (Special Funds), and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“The College was established as one of the four projects aimed at expanding facilities for the training of secondary school teachers in Nigeria, which envisaged one Federal Training College at the National level in Lagos, and three Colleges to serve the Eastern, Western, and Northern Regions, respectively.

“The government of the East Central State of Nigeria, by Edict No. 11 of May 31, 1973, upgraded the Advanced Teacher Training College Owerri to the status of a full-fledged College of Education named in honour of the great educationist, Alvan Ikoku, a former leader of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and proprietor of the first indigenous privately-owned secondary school in Nigeria.”