Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) have earmarked $9 million for research and innovation programmes in six Nigerian universities, in a move aimed at strengthening local expertise and developing practical solutions to industrial challenges.
Under the partnership, each of the selected institutions will receive $1.5 million to establish professional research chairs through the Nigerian Content Research and Development Professorial Chair Endowment Programme.
The beneficiary institutions are the University of Ibadan, Rivers State University, Modibbo Adama University in Yola, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology in Kano, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the University of Abuja.
NLNG Managing Director, Adeleye Falade, announced the initiative in a statement issued on Tuesday, explaining that the programme was designed to bridge the gap between academic research and the practical needs of industry.
He said the endowment would support collaboration among universities, government and industry, with research activities focusing on areas such as operational efficiency, emissions management, workplace safety, critical infrastructure and sustainable industrial processes.
According to Falade, the initiative would also encourage academic exchanges, staff sabbaticals, specialised training programmes, practical research and the joint development of postgraduate curricula.
Rivers State University will host the NLNG Research and Innovation Centre for Computer and Electrical Engineering, which will serve as the coordinating centre for activities across the six participating universities.
Falade disclosed that discussions were ongoing with the university to finalise implementation arrangements, while commending its Vice-Chancellor, Isaac Zeb-Obipi, for supporting the collaboration.
He also revealed that prospective industry and technology partners, including Google, Cisco and MTN, had expressed interest in supporting the programme.
The NLNG chief urged the beneficiary universities to use the endowment as a foundation for attracting further research funding, expanding institutional partnerships and turning research discoveries into commercially viable intellectual property.
He stressed the need for sustained investment in technology transfer and locally developed solutions, while maintaining appropriate quality assurance and safety standards.
Also speaking, NCDMB Executive Secretary, Felix Ogbe, challenged the universities to focus on research that responds to real challenges in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Ogbe described the endowment as a strategic investment in the country’s research and innovation capacity, emphasising the importance of connecting academic expertise with industry requirements.
