The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) have committed $9 million to support specialised research in six Nigerian universities, with a focus on developing commercially viable solutions to challenges in the oil and gas industry.
Under the Nigerian Content Research and Development (NC-R&D) Professorial Chair Endowment Programme, each university will receive $1.5 million to establish a professorial research chair focused on agreed industry priorities.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening local research capacity, advancing technological innovation and bridging the gap between academic research and industrial application.
The beneficiary institutions are the University of Ibadan, Rivers State University, Modibbo Adama University, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
Speaking at the programme’s kick-off ceremony, NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, said the initiative would help Nigeria translate academic knowledge into practical solutions for industry challenges.
He identified operational efficiency, emissions management, industrial safety, critical infrastructure maintenance and sustainable industrial processes as some of the areas requiring sustained research.
Falade said the programme would also promote collaboration between government, industry and academia through specialised programmes, academic exchanges, practical testing of research findings and joint postgraduate curriculum development.
He disclosed that the NLNG Research and Innovation Centre for Computer and Electrical Engineering (RICCEE) at Rivers State University was envisaged as the coordinating point for collaboration among the six universities.
According to him, discussions are ongoing with the university on implementation arrangements, while Google, Cisco and MTN have indicated interest in supporting the initiative.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the endowment was part of efforts to build an integrated research and innovation ecosystem connecting academic expertise, research infrastructure, industry requirements and commercialisation opportunities.
Represented by his Senior Technical Adviser, Austin Uzoka, Ogbe urged the beneficiary universities to move beyond research for academic publication towards producing findings that can be applied to industrial challenges.
He said the institutions would be expected to deliver clearly defined research objectives, measurable outcomes, prudent resource utilisation and sustained engagement with industry partners.
Under the programme, the University of Ibadan will focus on natural gas processing, pollution control and environmental management, while Rivers State University will concentrate on digital engineering, intelligent energy systems, automation and asset integrity.
Modibbo Adama University will undertake research in energy transition and the environment, while Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology will focus on sustainable energy innovation and climate-resilient food systems.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, will specialise in green energy production and geoenvironmental engineering, while Yakubu Gowon University will focus on geoscience and satellite intelligence for resilient gas infrastructure.
The programme also provides for infrastructure upgrades to establish research centres, industry participation in postgraduate training and the development of commercialisation pathways for research findings.
NCDMB said the initiative complements its ongoing investments in research infrastructure, including the establishment of specialised research and development centres of excellence across six universities.
