THE Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, has been designated as a Centre of Excellence in Geology and Geophysical Studies by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Head, Research and Development, of the board, Professor Leo Osuji, conveyed the development to the university through the dean, School of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Professor Idowu Odeyemi.
Professor Osuji said FUTA would now on behalf of the board carry out research activities relevant to the needs of the oil and gas industry pursuant to Section 36-39 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
According to Osuji, “The Research and Development Centres of Excellence being promoted by the NCDMB are to undertake specific research works aimed at resolving technical challenges faced by international oil companies, national oil companies and other operators.”
Prior to the designation, Osuji had led a technical team on a fact-finding working visit to FUTA. He described FUTA as an excellent university that has made its mark in research and development.
This he said confirmed the institution’s choice as a centre of excellence, and commended the modest contributions of FUTA’s Department of Geology and Geophysics to the nation’s local content development.
“Your Geology and Geophysics Department has made its mark. Based on this, we have decided to painstakingly come to verify your claims and what we have heard about you. We have discovered that your School of Earth and Mineral Sciences has done well to deserve this centre of excellence,” he said.
Responding, the former vice chancellor, Professor Adebiyi Daramola, who received the team during the visit in January 2017, said FUTA has all it takes to be a centre of excellence because it has in abundance both human and material resources.
“This university is a carrier of good tidings. In Geology and Geophysics, including Mining Engineering, we take leadership position among universities in Nigeria. A lot of our products are in the extractive industry.
“The current president of the National Association of Petroleum Exploration (NAPE) is our product. We also have a large number of them in the downstream sector blazing the trail. Indeed, ours is a young university proving its mettle and relevance both locally and globally,” Daramola added.
In a brief remark, the dean, School of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Professor Idowu Odeyemi, said the choice of FUTA by NCDMB was not misplaced, because the institution, through the quality of courses offered and products churned out annually, has all it takes to attain great feats.
Reacting to the good news, the new vice chancellor, Professor Joseph Fuwape, said it was a good omen for his administration. He said FUTA would live up to expectation as it would put all structures in place to deliver on its mandate as a Centre of Excellence in Geology and Geophysics for the benefit of the industry and the country at large.
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