Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), on Tuesday, at the University of Ibadan (UI) commissioned NLNG-University of Ibadan Engineering Laboratory Complex as part of the company’s $12 million University Support Programme.
The University of Ibadan laboratory complex is the second of six laboratories to be commissioned by the company after the NLNG-ABU Multi-User Engineeringwas commissioned in November 2015. NLNG spent $2 million on the project, with the University of Ibadan providing counterpart funding of over N300 million for the engineering laboratory complex which houses the first automation engineering laboratory in Nigeria.
The University Support Program (USP) was launched in 2014 by NLNG to help develop science/engineering capacity in the country. Other beneficiaries are the University of Ibadan,University of Ilorin, University of Port-Harcourt, University of Maiduguri and University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The commissioning of the laboratory complex was witnessed by the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, represented by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, representatives of the Board and management of NLNG, the Council of University of Ibadan, lawmakers and guests from the public and private sectors.
In his keynote address, Babs Omotowa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, said “Going into the project, the implementation was guided by each university’s peculiar technical needs and specifications taking into account their realities and comparative advantages, as well as the conviction that this was the best and most efficient model for project delivery and partnership.
“It is praiseworthy that this great university did not only efficiently utilise the funding made available for this project by NLNG, but also contributed several hundred million naira of its own resources to its actualisation. This is a commendable act by the management of the university and should be applauded and emulated.
“It is our hope that the joint work undertaken over the past two years between UI and Nigeria LNG and of course today’s momentous event, will be key towards promoting engineering research and innovation, as well as seeking solutions to our nation’s infrastructure and underdevelopment challenges.
“It is critical that NLNG’s partnership with UI and our investment here, contribute to the urgent task of nation building through modern scientific interventions. We must revitalise Research and Development (R&D) in Nigeria. We are confident that this facility will provide staff, students, researchers, engineers and scientists, easy access to world class facilities that will enhance their work, improve skills and boost the rating of this faculty and the entire university,” he added.
The projects in the remaining four universities are at different levels of completion.
The USP programme is one of NLNG’s interventions in education. The company administers a scholarship programme that covers secondary school, undergraduate and overseas post-graduate studies. The scholarship has benefited some 3000 Nigerian students.
In Bonny, the company funds Bonny Vocational Centre (BVC), accredited London City and Guilds centre and National Board for Technical Education centre, which produces world class technicians to fill the skills gap in Nigeria.
The company, in partnership with The Nigerian Academy of Science and The Nigerian Academy of Letters, instituted The Nigeria Prize for Science and The Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2004 to honour and encourage excellent innovators and writers. The prizes, the largest in Africa, each come with a $100,000 in prize money.
Nigeria LNG Limited is the most significant arrow-head of the federal government’s quest to eliminate gas flaring and derive value from the country’s 187 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves.
NLNG is owned by four shareholders, namely, the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC (49%), Shell Gas BV, SGBV, (25.6%), Total LNG Nigeria Limited (15%), and Eni International (N.A,) N. V. S. a. r. l (10.4%).
