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World Bank Urges Institutes, Industries’ Linkage

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13 years ago

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The Science and Technology Education Post-Basic (STEP-B) Project, a World Bank-assisted initiative, has called for proper linkage between research institutes and industries for the conduct and full commercialisation of research results.

Prof. Michael Adikwu, the National Coordinator, STEP-B, made the observation when he featured at a forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Adikwu said that there were many research results on the shelves of research institutes waiting to be moved to the market level.

“Before you are talking about moving things into the market, you have to have risk undertakers; people who can bring serious venture capital. What happen if that money is lost in the process of the research? They can bear the burden.

“That’s why there are products on the shelves, looking for them to be moved to the pilot level is a different ball game, and that has to do with the business community.

“It will be very difficult for a lecturer to translate what he has made in the laboratory to the market.

“That is why under STEP-B also we are looking at what is happening between the industry and our institutions? Like under these centre of excellence that I mentioned, each institution should have strong collaboration with the industrial sector.

“So, unless you have those industries; first of all they can support your research, they can take some risks; the other day I heard that Merck Sharp and Dome gave up to nine billion dollars for researchers in Latin America to look at the Amazonian, that’s the product of Amazon forest and we need this.

“How many of our industries in the country can do this? I think that is where there is a yawning gap.’’

The national coordinator said moving the available research results to the market was important as any research and development results that did not hit the market was a waste of time and resources.

“You do know that when research has not hit the market, it is not even research, you can have a thousand papers and become a professor; you can have so many patents but as far as they have not been transformed from the laboratory level to the market level for human use, it is not innovative, in fact it is not a research, it is a waste of time.’’

Adikwu added that STEP-B was collaborating with relevant stakeholders to put a system of innovation in place that would help to ensure that research results were commercialised.

“First of all, we have in place what we call National Systems of Innovation; it’s chaired by the Director-General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).

“So what we are trying to do is that if we have a system of innovation in place where people can critically look at what is happening, what are those things that are commercialisable; what are those things that government can be involved in?

“And we meet from time to time to see we draw even from STEP-B itself, what the students we are funding, what are they currently producing? With that trend are hopeful that many products will get into the market.

“So we are putting certain structure; that is why we decided that that National System of Innovation must come into place.’’

He added that STEP-B was also aimed at improving the human capacity of the country to reduce the trend where industries were complaining that graduates of science and technology were not employable due to disconnection between industries and education institutions.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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