Many students and observers of Nigeria’s academic landscape have often wondered: Why doesn’t the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), offer Chemical Engineering? The answer to that question lies not in policy gaps or infrastructural challenges—but in a historical and political context rooted in the scars of the Nigerian Civil War.

Before the outbreak of the war, UNN boasted a thriving Chemical Engineering department, home to some of the country’s brightest scientific minds. But in the post-war era, that department was permanently shut down—not due to a lack of resources or academic demand, but because of its deep connection to the Biafran war effort.

During the war, a group of daring engineers and scientists, led by Professor Gordian Ezekwe, formed the Biafran Research and Production (RAP) unit. With colleagues such as Sylvester Akalonu, Benjamin Nwosu, Willy Achukwu, and Okezie Confidence, they spearheaded a movement of wartime ingenuity that helped sustain Biafra under siege.

From fabricating bombs and rockets to building modular oil refineries and producing aviation fuel from limited resources, the RAP team demonstrated a level of scientific innovation that was nothing short of extraordinary. Their achievements became a symbol of intellectual resistance and engineering excellence under extreme adversity.

But rather than being celebrated after the war, this legacy was quietly erased. The Federal Government, wary of the strategic implications of such technological prowess in the hands of former Biafran scientists, took a political decision to shut down the department. It wasn’t just about education—it was about control, and a fear of the potential power of an intellectually liberated people.

Today, the absence of Chemical Engineering at UNN is more than an academic omission. It’s a symbol of suppressed history—a reminder of a time when intellect was weaponized for survival, and punished for its brilliance.

So, as conversations continue around curriculum reforms and national development, many believe that revisiting this forgotten chapter could be the first step toward healing—and perhaps, restoring a legacy that once made UNN a beacon of engineering innovation in Africa.