Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, has commended the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc for their synergy in promoting critical and demand-driven research in the Nigerian universities and research establishments through the NOTAP-Industry Research Laboratory Upgrade (NIRLUP) scheme.
Speaking at the commissioning of the upgraded Chemistry Laboratory of the University of Jos, Plateau State, on Tuesday, the minister, who was represented by the director general of NOTAP, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, expressed deep concern over the level of research carried out in the Nigerian knowledge establishment due to insufficient research laboratories.
In a statement released by Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu on behalf of the Head Public Relations and Protocol Unit of NOTAP, the minister lauded PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc for sponsoring the upgrade of eight chemistry and chemical laboratories in select Nigerian universities and research institutions.
He noted that this initiative has not only bolstered the credibility of research efforts but also heightened the enthusiasm of Nigerian researchers.
The minister explained that the partnership was initiated after NOTAP observed a disconnect between the industry and the National System of Innovation (NSI) during its monitoring exercises.
This gap had inadvertently led to a lack of confidence in graduates and the research capabilities of the industry, causing companies to rely on their parent firms abroad for critical research and laboratory analyses.
“To address the identified weaknesses and bridge the gap between academia and industry, NOTAP came up with a number of industry partnership initiatives, which include NOTAP-Industry Research Laboratory Upgrade.
“Since the commencement of the programme, only PZ Cussons has keyed into it, spending over seven hundred million (N700,000.000) in upgrading ten laboratories upgraded and commissioned out of which eight, including UNIJOS, has been fully upgraded and commissioned.”
In her remarks, the Director General of NOTAP, Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, said that the synergy between the Office and PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc is a demonstration of the power of public-private partnerships for the socio-economic development of the nation.
She stated that the NOTAP-Industry Research Laboratory Upgrade initiative came into effect to bridge the gap between academia and industry by carrying out credible and industrial need-based research for the advancement of the industry.
She emphasised that as an industry player, PZ Cussons understands its challenges; hence, the equipment donated to the knowledge institutions is state-of-the-art laboratory equipment that will sharpen the skills of the students in conducting and delivering globally acceptable research results.
Dr Amadiobi has highlighted the success of the programme, stating that only PZ Cussons has shown interest since its introduction.
She urged other multinational companies to collaborate with PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc to ensure more Nigerian schools benefit, noting that the impact is already being felt by both beneficiaries and benefactors.
Dr Amadiobi expressed her gratitude for the support from the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, praising the minister’s favourable disposition towards NOTAP and the resulting significant advancements in critical knowledge acquisition, especially in science-related fields across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
During the event, the Managing Director and CEO of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Mr. Dimitris Kostianis, represented by Mr. Samson Moju, emphasised the company’s commitment to advancing critical research in Nigeria by upgrading laboratories in Nigerian knowledge institutions.
He highlighted PZ Cussons’ ongoing partnerships, including the NOTAP-Industry Research Laboratory Upgrade (NIRLUP), NOTAP-Industry Technology Transfer Fellowship (NITTF), and the Technology Story Board initiative.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, also expressed his gratitude for the upgraded laboratory, noting its timely arrival for the accreditation of additional courses and the positive impact on the university.
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