Mkpoikana Udoma
17 January 2019, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — In keeping faith with their promise to further the cause of research and development in Nigeria’s oil and gas space, Eni, the parent company of Nigerian Agip Exploration Ltd. has handed over geoscience workstations to three universities in the country.
The benefiting universities are the University of Port Harcourt, the University of Ibadan and the Modibbo Adama University.
Speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Engr Simbi Wabote, recalled that in October 2017, the Board was invited to participate in ENI-sponsored Indigenous Technology and Universities Collaborative Research Forum and Exhibition in Port Harcourt.
Following the successful hosting of the event, Wabote said the company selected a few Universities to collaborate with and do further work on their research findings, as well as commit to equipping some geoscience laboratories and workstations with relevant software, and training of lecturers.
According to him, “I am indeed glad that today, we are here to witness the handing over of these workstations to the benefiting universities and training of their staff for proper use of the equipment.
“The Board, and I believe the other stakeholders invited by ENI to the 2017 University Collaborative Research Forum and Exhibition, are earnestly waiting for the outcome of further work on the selected exhibited products.
“This beautiful initiative should not be allowed to go cold, as we have identified that the only way we can continue to function well in the global space is to actively partake in research and innovative activities. Therefore, the Board will expect to get some updates in this regard in the not very distant future.”
The NCDMB boss commended Eni for the initiative, urged the beneficiaries to ensure the workstations are well maintained while deriving maximum benefits from it, adding that the enforcement of local research and development activities in the oil and gas industry is clearly outlined in section 36-40 of the NOGICD Act.
He further disclosed that the Board has commenced a process of updating research and development work done in the oil and gas industry while appealing to all stakeholders to provide the board with relevant information for better policy formulation.
“We are also aware of some of your research initiatives, especially the 3-5 years of funding, training, and equipping research initiative on deep offshore hydrate management. We will continue to encourage your company in this regard, expecting that the outcome will be positive and economically viable. We shall help in giving it the publicity and rating it deserves.
“Finally, let me once again thank ENI and congratulate the recipients and remind us that this initiative falls squarely within the scope of the Board’s Adopt-A-Faculty Initiative, which is aimed at enriching and aligning selected university science and engineering programmes with industry practice.
“I will use this opportunity to advise that the recipients use this equipment with the care they deserve, deriving maximum benefit from them, imparting knowledge on the students and trainees alike, and of course see that they are always well maintained.”