Professor Williams Emeka Obiozor is the Pioneer Rector of the Nationbuilders College of Technology, Asaba. His expertise, commitment and efforts attracted the first accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education, introduction of short courses as well as other developmental benefits from both the proprietors of the school and external agencies. In one of his visits to the College, he referred to the institution as one of the Private institutions with the brightest prospects. He assures further cooperation with the institution, while speaking with Chidex Onyemah, in this interview.

How can you describe NABCOTECH? This is a great institution that has been dedicated to serving young persons and even adults, within the Asaba metropolis as well as other states. It has been an institution, inspired by God to have positive impacts on the society. Through this inspiration, the Chairman in Council, came up with this innovation with the full support of the Women’s Fellowship of the church. I left the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (Unizik), and spent lots of time here, working with the institution to set it up. Today, it has gone through the National Board for Technical Education, for verification, appraisals and inspections. And they have given us the first accreditation, to go ahead with the two years National Innovation Diploma (NID) Programme. We also have our certificate programs ran for six months or one year, as the case may be in the fields of Computer Hardware Engineering, where we handle computer appreciations, repairs and maintenance; we also have the Multimedia Technology as well as Hospitality Management and Tourism Studies. These are the program I set up for the school and I really hope that as time goes on, more opportunities will come up for people around the communities to benefit from the College.

What assistance in your capacity can you render to grow the College? After my contract ended here, I went back to Unizik, where I got an appointment as the Director, Centre for Disability and Special Needs Research, due to my field as a professor of Adult and Special Education. Recently I came here with an official of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund) from Abuja, who held a meeting with the management and informed us that Tetfund doesn’t give funds to private institutions but can give grants to public institutions working with private institutions within the parameters of research. So, it is up to the management of NABCOTECH to liaise with us, to come up with research studies. Unizik or any other public institution will be the lead team, then they can come along and in the process they will benefit. That is the way it is done, as stipulated by Tetfund. Also, I was in Abuja recently for an event hosted by Kpakpando foundation, for persons with disabilities. On that day, I met with lots of companies who exhibited product of persons with disabilities. I met some upcoming technological institutions that will be interested in partnering with NABCOTECH, to come up with some products. We are also looking at having a mobility aid for the disabled. This can be produced here and sold out to agencies, managing persons with disabilities. A couple of other things that come my way of course will be shared to the institution. This place is now my home and I am ready to see the institution grow to a higher height.

What do you think the Church should do, to further aid growth in the College? I must commend the church, through the leadership of the Most Rev Dr. Daniel Okoh for his unwavering support to the institution. He is always ready to support and invest in the institution. So, I can’t ask for more. I am really impressed and sure that when developmental issues are brought to his table, he will be ready to approve. NABCOTECH is one of the very few private institutions with bright prospects and this is as a result of the kind of Governing Council, management committee, piloting the affairs of the school.