NLNG, NCDMB channel US$9m into research at six Nigerian universities
The US$9m programme will fund specialised research chairs across six universities, with a focus on developing local technologies and practical solutions for the energy industry.
Six Nigerian universities are to receive a combined US$9m in research funding from Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), under an initiative aimed at developing local technologies and practical solutions to challenges in the energy industry.
The programme will provide US$1.5m to each institution to establish specialised professorial chairs focused on industry-related research, with an emphasis on turning academic findings into commercially viable applications.
NLNG’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, announced the initiative at its launch in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. He said the endowments would strengthen the connection between universities and industry, particularly as changing energy systems increase the need for locally developed technologies and expertise.
“In the energy industry, we understand that technology and energy systems are evolving, and the requirement for sustained research cannot be overemphasised,” Falade said.
The beneficiary institutions are the University of Ibadan, Rivers State University, Modibbo Adama University, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
Each university will tackle a different research area. The University of Ibadan will focus on natural gas processing, pollution control and environmental management, while Rivers State University will work on digital engineering, intelligent energy systems, automation and asset integrity.
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Modibbo Adama University will research energy transition and the environment. Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology will focus on sustainable energy innovation and climate-resilient food systems, while the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, will work on green energy production and geoenvironmental engineering. At Yakubu Gowon University, research will centre on geoscience and satellite intelligence for resilient gas infrastructure.
Falade said the research programme would address industry concerns such as operational efficiency, emissions management, safety, infrastructure maintenance and sustainable industrial processes. He also called for stronger collaboration between universities, businesses and government through research partnerships, academic exchanges, industry placements and joint postgraduate programmes.
Rivers State University is expected to host the NLNG Research and Innovation Centre for Computer and Electrical Engineering, which will serve as a coordinating hub for collaboration among the six institutions. Falade said discussions were ongoing with the university on implementation arrangements.
He also disclosed that Google, Cisco and MTN had indicated interest in supporting the initiative.
The NCDMB Executive Secretary, Felix Ogbe, represented by his Senior Technical Adviser, Austin Uzoka, described the endowment as part of the board’s wider investment in research infrastructure and specialised research and development centres across six universities.
Ogbe said the programme should help address the longstanding disconnect between academic research and industrial application. He urged the institutions to move beyond research focused mainly on publications and prioritise work that produces measurable industrial results.
“These professorial chairs will generate commercially viable solutions, strengthen local technological capabilities, support industrial competitiveness and contribute meaningfully to the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry,” he said.
He also urged the universities to treat the funding as a responsibility, with expectations of “clearly defined research objectives, measurable outcomes, prudent resource utilisation, effective stakeholder engagement and sustained collaboration with industry partners.”
The initiative will also provide for minor civil works and infrastructure upgrades to prepare designated university spaces as research centres. Industry professionals are expected to contribute technical and practical expertise, while opportunities will be created for postgraduate students to gain industry experience as they pursue master’s and doctoral degrees.
The partners said each institution would work towards agreed research targets and commercialisation plans, with a shared information management hub supporting knowledge exchange and collaboration.
