The KWASU VC Professor Muhammed Mustapha Akanbi SAN (second right), the DG NGSA Dr.Abdulrasaq A Garba (second left), KWASU Director, Research and Development/Center of Excellence Dr. Jimoh Ajadi (right), and Technical Personal Assistant to DG NGSA Mr. Silas Yakubu. in Ilorin on Thursday
By Is’haq Babatunde
The Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Professor Muhammed Mustapha Akanbi SAN has identified robust symbiotic collaborations between town and gown as a potent means of encouraging good research endeavours that will transform theories into practice.
Professor Akanbi made this known on Thursday (April 29, 2021) when the Director-General of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Dr. Abdulrasaq A. Garba, paid him a courtesy visit in Ilorin.
The KWASU VC explained that effective collaboration between town and gown is an antidote to poor research culture and a veritable way of grant sourcing for research activities in Nigerian Universities.
The working visit of the DG was a follow up to a similar one made by the VC to the headquarters of NGSA, Abuja in August last year.
The Vice Chancellor reiterated his commitment to take KWASU to greater heights, while expressing hope that the parley with NGSA will herald a mutually beneficial relationship between the two establishments.
In his goodwill speech, the DG of NGSA welcomed back the VC from his medical trip overseas and thanked Almighty Allah for granting him sound health while wishing him total and complete recovery.
Dr Garba who doubles as the President of the Nigerian Society of Economic Geologists, congratulated the Vice Chancellor for the modest achievements recorded in his one year in office despite his overseas trip for medical attention and the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic during the period under review.
According to the DG, some of the benefits that can accrue to KWASU from the collaboration include among others:
*Collaborate with KWASU towards the development and submission of grant-winning research proposals that will impact on the host community to TETfund and other donor agencies for funding;
- Assist KWASU to source for funding to carry out a comprehensive research on water quality, yield and challenges in part of Kwara State;
- Identify potential mineral commodities around the host community for possible grant-sourcing for landmark research breakthrough;
- Engage KWASU geoscience academics as resource persons in NGSA funded research work for exchange of professional ideas;
- Sourcing for small scale equipment from donor agencies through NGSA, eg. microscopes, compass, GPS, etcetera;
- Promote KWASU-Industry collaboration through which KWASU postgraduate students can be encouraged to develop grant-winning proposals for funding;
- Provide unhindered permission to KWASU students and staff to access seismic data from NGSA Seismograph located in Ilorin and other parts of Nigeria;
- Provide a 50% rebate for KWASU students and staff for all laboratory analytical services rendered on request; and
- SIWES/Internship placement for KWASU students in any of the NGSA state offices throughout the country.
Also at the parley was the Director, Research and Development/Center of Excellence, Dr. Jimoh Ajadi and the Personal Assistant to the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Babatunde Olayiwola Isiaka and the technical Personal Assistant on fieldwork to the NGSA DG who is a retired Deputy Director, Economic Geology Department, Mr. Silas Yakubu.
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