The Federal Government (FG) has donated chemical laboratory equipment valued at N100 million to the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), through a collaboration with PZ Cussons Nigeria Limited.
The laboratory, now equipped with Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), is part of a research laboratory upgrade initiative spearheaded by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).
The inauguration of the equipment took place on Friday at the FUTA campus.
Representing the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, Director-General of NOTAP, called on corporate organizations to partner with the government to enhance university facilities across the country.
Nnaji stated, “The equipment is crucial and the government alone cannot provide all these pieces of equipment, so in order to change the trajectory, NOTAP sought collaboration with the private sector to assist in this direction as part of their corporate social responsibilities.”
This initiative is part of a broader NOTAP-Industry partnership that includes the Technology Story Board, Industry Technology Transfer Fellowship, and the NOTAP-Industry research laboratory upgrade.
PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc has already upgraded five other laboratories at various universities and research institutes at the same cost of N100 million each.
Nnaji mentioned, “The PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc has also upgraded additional five laboratories in the universities and each of these laboratories was upgraded at a cost of N100 million and one of the beneficiary universities is the Federal University of Technology, Akure, which is the seventh upgraded chemical laboratory and the first in the South West geopolitical zone.”
During the event, FUTA’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Taiwo Amos, assured that the equipment would be well-maintained and utilized for teaching, learning, and research purposes.
Oladiji noted, “The event celebrates the wonderful synergy between PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC and NOTAP as part of their corporate and social responsibilities to upgrade laboratories in Nigeria Tertiary Institutions.”
This collaboration highlights the significant role of private sector involvement in enhancing the educational infrastructure and capacity of Nigerian tertiary institutions.
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