Varsity Inaugurates Committee On Biodiversity, Climate Change

The management of the
University of Uyo has inaugurated a six-man multi-disciplinary committee on the study of biodiversity and climate change in the institution.
Inaugurating the committee in Uyo, last Thursday, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Comfort Ekpo, urged the committee to develop extensively the study of biodiversity and climate change.
Ekpo disclosed that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) had already endowed a professorial chair on biodiversity and climate change in the institution.
She said that if the SPDC support on the study was properly managed, more corporate organisations would be encouraged to also endow professorial chairs on it.
The Vice Chancellor said that members of the committee were distinguished academics carefully selected based on their expertise and track records in researches.
She urged the committee to strengthen researches in the different areas of biodiversity and climate change, organise conferences and establish international linkages on the subject matter.
Ekpo also advised the committee to assemble rare species of wildlife and plants that could turn the university into a tourist attraction centre.
Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Prof. Kingsley Akpabio, thanked the management of the university for selecting them to undertake the study.
Akpabio assured the university that given the calibre of academics in the committee, the work was already half done.
He noted that biodiversity and climate change has been topical issues globally.
Akpabio, who is the former Dean, Faculty of Science, said that the committee would justify the confidence reposed in it.