Education
UNIPORT, Firm Sign MoU On Industrial Training
The authorities of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Yokogawa Nigeria Limited for a six-month industrial training programme for students in the College of Engineering.
In a statement made available to The Tide, the management while receiving the team from Yokogawa, recently in his committee room, Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ajienka, who lauded the company for its partnership, tasked them on the need to be fully committed to implementing the MoU to the letter.
We want you to be involved in the training of our students and provide capacity building for staff. We can also arrange exchange programmes, short courses, including video conferencing for the benefit of both parties”, he added.
In his response, Managing Director of the Company, Kazuo Hiraki, who was accompanied by Human Development Coordinator, Inyiagu Chukwuebuka, expressed the desire of the company to provide hands-on training on industrial automation to students, that would also conclude lectures and laboratory sessions.
“Yokogawa will also provide the necessary hardware, software, trainers and facilities needed for the programme”, he said. Director, Centre for Information and Telecommunication Engineering (CITE), Professor Monima Briggs who spoke on the proposed Master’s Degree programme, disclosed that the course curriculum and content would be jointly developed by the university and the company.
“The programme would be handled by university lecturers and experts from related industries we hope to establish a Human Resources Centre for oil and aas industries in the area of industrial automation,” he said.
He noted that it would also comprise exposure practical training and field trip to Yokogawa workstations.
Also present at the occasion was the Acting Head, Department of Electronics and computer Engineering, Dr Bourdillwn Omijeh.
Sogbeba Dokubo
A professor of Highway Engineering at the Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Emmanuel Osilemme Ekwulo, has identified poor designs, inadequate materials, insufficient testing, and lack of accountability as major obstacles to the success of highway construction projects in the country.
Ekwulo made this remark in Port Harcourt last Wednesday during the 128th inaugural lecture series of the university, where he presented a lecture titled “Removing Roadblocks: Rebuilding a Foundation for Reliable Highway Pavement Infrastructure.”
The university don lamented the consistent premature failures of road construction projects nationwide, despite huge investments by the government at all levels, attributing the problem to neglected basics and systemic principles in the industry.
According to him, rebuilding the foundation technically, institutionally, and ethically is crucial to building strong and lasting pavements.
Ekwulo emphasized the need for political will, professional integrity, and commitment to engineering excellence to overcome the challenges.
“The metaphoric roadblocks are those challenges causing premature failures,” Ekwulo said, adding that identifying and addressing these roadblocks is key to rebuilding the nation’s highways.
He recommended that institutions involved in road design and construction adopt a mechanistic-empirical design approach, and develop a comprehensive framework for implementing the Nigerian Imperial and Mechanistic Pavement Design System (NEMPADS) approach.
Ekwulo also advocated for mandatory traffic load analysis, strengthened university-industry collaboration, and funding for applied pavement research.
Corruption, he noted, is a major challenge in the profession, saying severe punitive measures are needed to curb shabby practices leading to premature road failures.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described Ekwulo’s lecture as interesting and intriguing, highlighting the importance of implementing solutions to Nigeria’s highway challenges.
The Vice Chancellor also described Ekwulo’s proposals as practical and applicable to government and industry stakeholders.
He said the university is committed to research aligned with national development goals, referencing its NDV-12 responsive consortium production framework.
Zeb-Obipi noted that Ekwulo’s recommendations are timely and solution-driven, and will contribute to addressing Nigeria’s highway challenges.
Akujobi Amadi
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