Bashir Bayo Ojulari, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, led the NNPC team during a meeting with University of Ilorin officials at the NNPC Towers in Abuja last Wednesday to discuss strategic cooperation between both institutions.
Kunle Akogun, Director of Corporate Affairs of the University of Ilorin, disclosed this in a press statement on the outcome of the meeting, revealing that a joint strategic committee has been established to promote cooperation between the two institutions.
The committee, which will refine the details of the partnership, is expected to report back within four weeks, according to Akogun.
Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, a Professor of International Law and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, led the UNILORIN delegation to the meeting.
Discussions between the two parties centred on the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at the University of Ilorin, described as the first of its kind in West Africa, dedicated to practical engineering and technology driven research.
The talks also focused on the endowment of an NNPC Professorial chair at the Better by Far University to promote industry leading expertise, according to the statement.
Other members of the University of Ilorin delegation included Mukhtar Adeiza Etudaiye, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Technology, and Innovation; Mansur Adeleke Alfanla, the Registrar; and Joshua Olaoye, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, among others.
The proposed Centre of Excellence represents a significant development for research infrastructure in the West African region, positioning the University of Ilorin as a potential hub for practical engineering and technology focused studies.
The partnership between UNILORIN and NNPCL is expected to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry, providing opportunities for research advancement and expertise development in engineering and technology fields relevant to Nigeria's petroleum sector.
