Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Taiwanese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Andy Yih-Ping Liu, has visited the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to explore areas of collaboration and partnership in research and innovation.
During the two-day visit, the ambassador toured the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACE-SPED), UNN, to assess its facilities and research capacity.
Led by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Simon Ortuanya, the visit also took the ambassador to the Faculty of Social Sciences, which currently hosts the temporary office of the proposed International Centre for Africa–Taiwan Economic, Regional and Security Studies.
Other locations visited included the proposed permanent site for the centre at the Faculty of Vocational and Technical Education, as well as the Scholars’ Village, where foreign students are accommodated.
Professor Ortuanya described the visit as part of UNN’s broader vision to deepen international research and innovation partnerships and position the university as a leading hub for policy-relevant research and innovation in Africa.
According to him, collaboration with Taiwanese institutions would extend beyond security studies to include engineering, technology, agriculture and other strategic areas.
“Our goal is to use the University of Nigeria as a base for spreading a mutually beneficial relationship between African universities and Taiwanese institutions,” he said.
He also disclosed that the university plans to establish a Centre for African Studies in Taiwan.
“We will also establish a Centre for African Studies in Taiwan so that the world will know what we are doing,” he added.
The ambassador’s visit builds on discussions held during Professor Ortuanya’s official visit to Taiwan in October 2025 and aligns with UNN’s plan to establish an International Centre for African and Taiwan Studies aimed at promoting education, research, innovation, business development and cross-regional collaboration.
At ACE-SPED, the Director, Professor Emenike Ejiogu, showcased the centre’s advanced research infrastructure and innovation capacity, providing a platform for discussions on joint research projects, academic exchange programmes and institutional development between UNN and Taiwanese institutions.
Facilities toured at ACE-SPED included the SEM Laboratory, the 3D Innovation Laboratory and the Centre of Competence for Digital Education and Content Creation Studio.
Professor Ejiogu also informed the ambassador that ACE-SPED had been invited to participate in the Smart City Summit and Expo in Taipei, scheduled for March 17–20, 2026.
Commending the University of Nigeria for its forward-looking approach to international cooperation, Ambassador Liu expressed enthusiasm about the prospects of long-term partnerships that would benefit students, researchers and staff while addressing shared development challenges.
He pledged to lead a scholarly delegation from Taiwan to UNN to further fine-tune areas of collaboration.
