The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion( NOTAP) in partnership with the PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC. has inaugurated a Chemistry Research Laboratory worth N100 million in the Federal University of Technology, Akure( FUTA).

Speaking at the inauguration of the laboratory in School of Physical Sciences, FUTA , the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, said that the upgraded laboratory was to facilitate a credible research and development in the institution.

Nnaji, who was represented by the Director General of NATOP, Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, explained that the parastatal’s collaboration with the industry was to strengthen linkage with industry and provision of infrastructure in research and development establishments.

He added that the Research Laboratory Upgrade was one of the schemes aiming at providing state -of the-art equipment to universities and research institutes in order to have a sound research infrastructure to produce reliable and viable research and development results.

According to him, the NOTAP observed that there were inadequacies and disconnect between industries and the National Innovation System( NIS).

“One of such imbalances is lack of confidence in our graduates and research capability by the industries.

“This resulted in the absence in the absence of any indigenous research and development results being used in any of the numerous industries in Nigeria.

“ In order to address the identified weaknesses and huge gaps, NOTAP came up with the NOTAP-Industry Partnership Initiative with a number of schemes in 2009.

“These NOTAP-Industry Initiatives were conceived to compliment the ministry’s efforts in strengthening linkage with industry and provision of infrastructure in our research and development establishment,” he stated.

The minister described PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc as as a strategic partner in the initiative, adding that the government could not do it alone hence, the need for the collaboration to upgrade laboratories in the country’s tertiary institutions.

He mentioned that the PZ Cussons had ungraded five laboratories in five higher institutions, adding that recently, the industry had also upgraded additional five laboratories in different universities.

“ Each of these laboratories was upgraded at a cost of N100 million and one of the beneficiary universities is the Federal University Technology of Technology, Akure which is the seventh upgraded chemical laboratory,” he said.

Nnaji, therefore, asked other industries to emulate PZ Cussons, promising that the laudable gesture would not go in vain and said that the ministry through NOTAP would find a legal way of reciprocating the gesture.

He called on the benefiting institutions to put the equipment in judicious use.

In her remarks, the Director General of NATOP, Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, said that the parastatal had the responsibility of encouraging the development of indigenous technologies especially those emanating from the National System of Innovation ( NIS).

Amadiobi, who was represented by Mrs Yejide Akinkunmi, the Director Consultancy Services Department, NOTAP, explained that the PZ Cussons agreed to partner with NOTAP to support research in chemical sciences and technology immediately the initiative was midwifed.

She added that the industry expended N115 million in three chemical laboratories in different higher institutions in the country.

“ Sequel to the commissioning of the first three laboratories, some funds were committed by PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc. for the upgrade of laboratories in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi and Alex Ekwueme University of Technology, Ndufu, Ebonyi State at a sum of N100 million.

“ The upgraded chemical laboratories were put into use and when PZ Cussons visited one of the upgraded laboratories, they saw the impact of their investment and the need for continued upgrading of more laboratories was reinvigorated.

“ They agreed to upgrade additional laboratories to spread among the geo political zones of the country at the cost of N500,000 million,” she said .

The NOTAP Director General appreciated the former Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc., Mr Christos Giannopoulos for his doggedness and belief in the partnership and extended the appreciation to the current CEO of the industry, Mr Dimitris Kostians, for the wonderful synergy.

Also speaking, the CEO of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc., said that the partnership was to deliver on the NOTAP’s mission of acquisition and promoted technology and in its pursuit for promotion of domestication of foreign technology.

Kostians, who was represented by the Supply Chain Director of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc., Mr Ifeanyichukwu Abadom, added that the industry also served as a strong blockage between academic research centres and industry in deepening the relevance of research in new product development.

He stated that the collaboration between industry and academia was inevitable if there would be technological progress in the country.

According to him, the industry has keyed into two NOTAP’s initiatives: NOTAP-Industry Laboratory Upgraded Project (NIRLUP) and NOTAP Industry Technology Transfer Fellowship ( NITTF).

He said that in continuation of the industry’s intervention, equipment had been delivered to additional three universities, adding that this would bring to 10, the total number of upgrades and donations to Nigerian universities.

Responding to the gesture, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, the Vice Chancellor of FUTA, commended the synergy between the industry and NOTAP in ensuring scientific and technological advancement in the country.

Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor of FUTA, Prof. Taiwo Amos, Oladiji promised that the university would make use of the upgraded laboratory to achieve its purposes.