Six Nigerian universities are to receive 1.5million each to set up specialised professorial chairs, under a US9 million endowment programme launched by the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to develop commercially viable solutions to industry challenges.
The Nigerian Content Research and Development (NC-R&D) Professorial Chair Endowment Programme also aims to strengthen local research capacity and advance technological innovation. Each chair will focus on agreed industry research priorities.
A joint statement on Tuesday by the NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall and NCDMB’s General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, Obinna Ezeobi, explained that the initiative is being implemented in partnership with the NCDMB, under the supervision of its Planning, Research and Statistics Directorate.
The beneficiaries are the University of Ibadan, Oyo State; Rivers State University; Modibbo Adama University, Yola, Adamawa State; Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Kano State; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State; and University of Abuja (Yakubu Gowon University), FCT.
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.
In his keynote address, titled “Reshaping Nigeria’s Future Through Innovation, Research and Capacity Development,” he stressed the need for sustained collaboration between government, industry and academia.
“In the energy industry, we understand that technology and energy systems are evolving and the requirement for sustained research cannot be overemphasised,” Falade said.
He noted that the programme would support research into challenges central to the future of the energy industry, including improving operational efficiency, managing emissions, strengthening safety, maintaining critical infrastructure and making industrial processes more sustainable.
Beyond the endowments, Falade outlined opportunities for a “triple helix” approach that brings government, industry and academia together through specialised programmes, sabbaticals, exchange opportunities, practical testing of research assumptions and joint development of postgraduate curricula.
The six universities will research distinct areas, with the NLNG Research and Innovation Centre for Computer and Electrical Engineering (RICCEE) at Rivers State University envisaged as the coordinating point for collaboration among them.
Falade said discussions with the university on implementation arrangements were already under way, and he commended its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, for his role in advancing the proposed collaboration.
He added that other partners, including Google, Cisco and MTN, had shown interest in supporting the initiative.
Falade also highlighted opportunities for younger researchers to deepen their expertise, investigate industry problems and learn from experienced academics and practitioners.
He urged the beneficiary institutions to build on the endowments by strengthening research partnerships, attracting more funding and pursuing the commercialisation of intellectual property.
“Expand the scope, reach for more grants and funding which can push the frontiers of knowledge and commercialisation of intellectual property,” he said.
Acknowledging the NCDMB’s role in bringing the initiative to fruition, he called for sustained commitment to technology transfer and the development of 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.
The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the endowment represents a strategic investment in the future of Nigeria’s research and innovation ecosystem.
He said it complements the Board’s ongoing investments in research infrastructure, including specialised R&D Centres of Excellence across six universities.
“Taken together, these interventions demonstrate the Nigerian oil and gas industry’s commitment to creating an integrated research ecosystem that connects academic expertise, modern research infrastructure, industry requirements, and commercialization opportunities,” he said.
Ogbe said that by supporting professorial chairs in critical areas of industry operations, NLNG and the NCDMB were creating opportunities to bridge the longstanding gap between academic research and industrial application.
He charged the universities to move deliberately from research for publication to research for application, and from innovation as an academic pursuit to innovation as a driver of industrial transformation.
“The beneficiary universities must see this endowment as both an opportunity and a responsibility and they would be expected to deliver clearly defined research objectives, measurable outcomes, prudent resource utilization, effective stakeholder engagement, and sustained collaboration with industry partners,” he said.
He added that the chairs are expected to generate commercially viable solutions, strengthen local technological capabilities, support industrial competitiveness and contribute to the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Under the endowment, the University of Ibadan will focus on natural gas processing, pollution control and environmental management, while 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, and 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, while the University of Abuja will focus on geoscience and satellite intelligence for resilient gas infrastructure.
Each university will work towards agreed research targets and commercialisation pathways, providing a framework for measuring progress and turning findings into practical applications. The institutions will also jointly host an information management hub to support knowledge sharing and exchange programmes.
The funding includes provision for minor civil works and infrastructure upgrades to turn identified spaces into fit for purpose research centres.
Proposed arrangements would also allow industry professionals to contribute practical expertise in technical and non-technical disciplines while pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, giving students greater industry exposure and strengthening the link between postgraduate study and practical problem solving.
The programme reinforces NLNG’s commitment to developing Nigerian capability, guided by its recently approved NextGen Nigerian Content Strategy.
Under the strategy, NLNG plans to sustain the gains of previous commitments in alignment with the NCDMB, enable its business by deepening the adoption of Nigerian Content development as a business principle, and accelerate growth by supporting the Nigerian Content transformation for posterity, in line with its vision of inspiring a sustainable future.
