BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
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Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Agbani, has announced the appointment of Dr. Maxwell Menkiti Ngene as its new Head of Department, effective Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
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Ngene’s appointment marks a homecoming of sorts. A product of the very Department he now leads, he bagged his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in Mass Communication from ESUT, a rare full-circle journey from student to Head of Department, and a testament to the quality of training the institution offers.
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He brings to the position a rare combination of scholarship and field experience. A Senior Lecturer and the Department’s Postgraduate Programmes Coordinator, he has spent over three decades shaping the minds of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, teaching, supervising numerous B.Sc., M.Sc. and PhD candidates, and serving as Course Adviser to the Department’s second-year students.
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Beyond the classroom, Dr. Ngene is a veteran broadcaster, having cut his teeth at the ATV/ABS/ESBS Enugu, and a respected public affairs analyst with the Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria (GPAAN), Enugu State Chapter. His career also spans public service, having served as a Senior Legislative Aide in the National Assembly and Executive Assistant to a former Governor of Enugu State. For over 30 years, he has worked as a Communication for Development (C4D) and Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) consultant with UNICEF, contributing to community engagement initiatives across Enugu, Benue, Imo, and Cross River States.
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Ngene takes over from Associate Professor Chidiebere Anthony Ezinwa, whose tenure since August 2023 has been marked by dedicated and transformative leadership. The Department extends its profound gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Ezinwa for his service and wishes him continued success.
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As the Department turns a new page, stakeholders express confidence that Dr. Ngene — a proud alumnus turned custodian of its legacy — will steer the Department of Mass Communication into a new era of excellence.
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About the Department of Mass Communication, ESUT
The Department of Mass Communication at Enugu State University of Science and Technology trains students across broadcasting, journalism, public relations, and development communication, producing graduates who shape Nigeria’s media landscape.
