R&D: NSCL partners FULafia
The Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited (NSCL), Tunga, Awe L.G.A, Nasarawa State, has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia) in the area of research and development.
This commitment was made known by Dr Palanisamy Chandrasekaran, the Director of Projects, NSCL, during a familiarisation tour of facilities at the University.
Chandrasekaran stated that the visit aimed to identify potential areas of collaboration, following the discussions held between the two organisations during an earlier visit by the FULafia Management to Tunga.
He outlined several areas of collaboration, including the use of FULafia’s laboratories and other materials.
Other areas of collaboration, he said , would include the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) programme, training NSCL staff in data collection, analysis, entrepreneurship and, eventually, the establishment of the Dangote Sugarcane Centre at FULafia.
“These collaborations are expected to be implemented in the short, medium and long term basis, he said
The NSCL team expressed its satisfaction with the state-of-the-art equipment at the laboratories they visited.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of FULafia, Prof. Shehu Abdul Rahman, represented by Prof. Ali Is’haq Shugaba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, welcomed the visitors and reiterated the importance of the town and gown relationship in the process of development.
He said that the University would benefit from the company’s industrial expertise, while the “NSCL will gain from the University’s research capabilities.”
He said that by leveraging each other’s strengths, the two organisations can drive sustainable development and improve the lives of communities in Nasarawa State and beyond.
Abdul Rahman thanked Chandrasekaran and his team for the visit, assuring them of the University’s commitment to the agreements reached.
In his remarks, Prof. Samaila Usman Dakyes, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Partnerships, said that the partnership between NSCL and FULafia would foster innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development in the region.
The members of the FULafia team at the meeting included Prof. F. A. Ajayi, the Director, Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development Studies (CARDS), Prof. Abdullahi Usman, Director, Muhammadu Buhari Tetfund Centre of Excellence (MBTCE), Dr Abdullahi Ibrahim Jaji Deputy Dean, Faculty of Agriculture.
