By Our Correspondent
Lagos, Nov. 11, ’26 (TNZ) Six Nigerian universities will share US$9 million as NLNG and NCDMB focus on homegrown research to solve the oil and gas industry’s toughest problems.
TheNewsZenith reports that the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) have launched the Nigerian Content Research and Development (NC-R&D) Professorial Chair Endowment Programme.
Under the programme, each university will receive $1.5 million to establish specialised professorial chair focused on agreed industry research priorities.
The beneficiary institutions are the University of Ibadan, Oyo State; Rivers State University; and Modibbo Adama University, Yola, Adamawa State.
Other benefiting universities include the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Kano State; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State; and University of Abuja (Yakubu Gowon University), FCT.
NCDMB’s Planning, Research and Statistics Directorate is supervising the programme implementation, according to a joint statement signed by Sophia Horsfall of NLNG and Obinna Ezeobi of NCDMB.
Speaking at the kick-off ceremony, NLNG’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, described the programme as an investment in Nigeria’s capacity to turn academic knowledge into practical solutions.
Falade’s keynote address was titled “Reshaping Nigeria’s Future Through Innovation, Research and Capacity Development”.
“In the energy industry, we understand that technology and energy systems are evolving and the requirement for sustained research cannot be overemphasised.
“The programme will support research into operational efficiency, emissions management, safety, the maintenance of critical infrastructure and more sustainable industrial processes,” TheNewsZenith quotes Falade saying.
Beyond the endowments, the NLNG boss outlined opportunities for a “triple helix” approach. This brings government, industry and academia together through specialised programmes.
Other opportunities are sabbaticals, exchange opportunities, practical testing of research assumptions and the joint development of postgraduate curricula.
Falade said the NLNG Research and Innovation Centre for Computer and Electrical Engineering (RICCEE) at Rivers State University is envisaged as the coordinating point for collaboration among the six universities.
He commended the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, for advancing the collaboration.
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NLNG boss further revealed that partners such as Google, Cisco and MTN had shown interest in supporting the initiative.
TheNewsZenith quotes Fadade as highlighting opportunities for younger researchers to deepen their expertise and learn from experienced academics and practitioners.
He urged the beneficiary institutions to build on the endowments and expand the scope.
“They should seek more funding which can push the frontiers of knowledge and commercialisation of intellectual property,” he said.
Acknowledging NCDMB’s role in bringing the initiative to fruition, Falade called for sustained commitment to technology transfer and home-grown solutions without compromising quality assurance or safety.
He said the programme’s lasting value would lie in stronger institutions, research outcomes deployed in the field and a new generation of Nigerian researchers and industry professionals.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Mr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, described the endowment as a strategic investment in the future of Nigeria’s research and innovation ecosystem.
According to Ogbe, the endowment will complement the Board’s specialised R&D Centres of Excellence in six universities.
“Taken together, these interventions demonstrate the Nigerian oil and gas industry’s commitment to creating an integrated research ecosystem.
“This ecosystem connects academic expertise, modern research infrastructure, industry requirements, and commercialisation opportunities,” TheNewsZenith quotes Ogbe saying.
NCDMB boss said the professorial chairs would help bridge the longstanding gap between academic research and industrial application.
He charged the universities to move from research for publication to research for application.
“Beneficiary universities must see this endowment as both an opportunity and a responsibility.
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“They are expected to deliver defined objectives, measurable outcomes, prudent use of resources and collaboration with industry partners,” Ogbe noted.
Under the programme, the University of Ibadan will focus on natural gas processing, pollution control and environmental management.
Rivers State University will concentrate on digital engineering, intelligent energy systems, automation and asset integrity.
Modibbo Adama University will research energy transition and the environment.
Also, 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.
The University of Abuja will focus on geoscience and satellite intelligence for resilient gas infrastructure.
TheNewsZenith reports that each university will work towards agreed research targets and commercialisation pathways.
They will jointly host an information management hub for knowledge sharing and exchange programmes.
The funding also covers minor civil works to convert identified spaces into fit-for-purpose research centres.
Proposed arrangements would also allow industry professionals to contribute practical expertise while pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees.
The programme is guided by NLNG’s recently approved NextGen Nigerian Content Strategy, which aims to sustain past gains.
It embeds Nigerian Content Development as a business principle. It accelerates growth, in line with its slogan: “Start Local, Go Global, Think Nigerian Content.” (TNZ)
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