The partnership between UNILORIN and NNPCL promises to be rewarding, writes KUNLE AKOGUN
In its avowed determination to up the ante of institutional operations and set the University of Ilorin on a true path of sustainable growth and enduring development, the Egbewole Administration would appear to have struck gold with the recent meeting between top officials of the University and the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). Preliminary snippets from deliberations at the ground-breaking meeting indicated that a consignment of goodies might be on the way for the University.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, led a high-powered delegation of the University management to the meeting while the Group Managing Director/GCEO of NNPCL, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, led the compact team of the national oil giant to the meeting held in the cosy recesses of the NNPC Towers, Abuja.
Although discussions are still at their embryonic stages, it would not be out of place, at this stage, to make some projections on the potential benefits that a partnership between the NNPC and the University of Ilorin could yield for both parties and, by extension, the Nigerian education system in general.
One good sign that this pristine partnership promises to be very rewarding is the businessman-like manner with which both parties approached the March 11 meeting and the promptness with which they set the ball rolling towards delivering a workable synergy.
Already, a joint strategic committee that would midwife the partnership and ensure effective implementation of its terms has been set up, with a deadline of four weeks to turn in its report.
A terse statement by the University management, last weekend, disclosed that discussions between the two parties at the meeting centred mainly on the possibility of the oil behemoth establishing a Centre of Excellence at the University of Ilorin that would be dedicated to practical engineering and technology-driven research. The plan by the NNPC to endow a professorial chair at the University was also discussed.
As with collaborations of this nature, the envisaged UNILORIN – NNPC partnership has the prospect of yielding significant benefits in the realms of Research and Development, Training and Capacity Building, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Community Engagement.
The partnership would encourage NNPC to collaborate with UNILORIN on research and development, especially in existing fields like Geology and Geosciences, Environmental Science, and Renewable Energy, to drive innovation and solve industry challenges. It could also be a catalyst for the introduction of new programmes like Petroleum Engineering.
The University could leverage NNPC’s expertise to develop tailored training programmes for students and professionals as a way of enhancing skills in areas like oil and gas operations, safety, and management.
The partnership could support startup businesses and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Kwara State to foster entrepreneurship and economic growth through initiatives like incubation centers, mentorship programmes, and access to funding.
At its fruition, the proposed collaboration could spur the partners to jointly implement social responsibility projects, such as education initiatives, healthcare programmes, and environmental conservation efforts for the benefit of local communities.
Other potential benefits of the UNILORIN – NNPC partnership also include: enhanced industry-academia collaboration, increased research funding opportunities, improved skills and employability for graduates, as well as economic growth and social development in Kwara State.
Indeed, the proposed partnership would be a veritable game-changer! Establishing a Centre of Excellence with NNPC’s backing would boost UNILORIN’s research capabilities and provide students with hands-on experience.
The expected NNPC professorial chair would also attract top talents to the University and drive innovation in the energy sector.
Being the first of its kind in West Africa, the proposed Centre of Engineering Excellence would position the University as a hub for innovation and expertise in engineering and technology-driven research. It would also attract regional talent, collaborations, and, very likely, investments.
The partnership has a high workability potential if the antecedents of the two team leads, Egbewole and Ojulari are anything to go by. The respective trajectories of the two chief executives are studies in service excellence. Like the proverbial Midas, the two are go-getters who are known to have turned anything they touch to gold!
Akogun is the Director, Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin
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