The University of  Ilorin and the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the usage of the bureau’s $5.8 million metallurgical laboratory at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
It was reported that the agreement was singed by both parties at the AIB’s headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos last Tuesday.
The Commissioner of AIB,Mr Akin Olateru,  said at the signing ceremony that the partnership would be beneficial to the agency and the university.
He said it was worrisome that both private and public business organizations expend little or no resource to funding of researches and projects in the country.
According to him, Harvard University in the United States alone has in excess of $30 billion for research purposes.
The commissioner said with adequate research, the country would benefit more.
He explained that the vision of the management was to make the laboratory a world class facility where giant contruction companies and countries like South Africa, United Kingdom and other European nations could come to conduct research.
The AIB boss said the collaboration with the university would lead to the recognition of  Nigeria as a serious nation in research in the international community.
He maintained that usage of the facility would lead to human capital development in the country, while the laboratory would also give students more opportunity to practise whatever they had been taught in the classrooms.
Olateru said: This is a very important occasion for us and I believe University of Ilorin too should be proud of this occasion.
“I have about 30 years experience in aviation and this is the first that I know of, that an aviation agency is signing an MOU with any higher institution in this country for benefit of Nigerians.
“Let’s look at it very well, Federal Government owns AIB and University of Ilorin is equally owned by the federal government . why can’t we collaborate?
“I challenge every other agency to see how we can all collaborate. No more a stand-alone business. We should find a way how we can benefit on one and other.
“You don’t need to have all the resources, competence or the technical expertise by yourself, it is all about collaboration”, he said.
Olateru said that the agency hoped to lure more academic institutions to make use of the facility, stressing that it would also form part of its internally Generated Revenue (IGR).