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AfDB, AIMS To Transform Industry-Led Research In Africa

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The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Institute of Mathematics and Sciences (AIMS) are now in a landmark relationship to build a research institution in the league of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The bank said this in a statement by its Communications Officer, Mr Emeka Anuforo, on Wednesday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
He said former President Olusegun Obasanjo led a delegation of the High-Level Advisory Council of AIMS to a meeting with the bank in Abidjan.
At the meeting, a 10-year partnership proposal was made to build mathematical and scientific capacity in Africa, strengthen industry linkages and create a competitive industrial and innovative space.
He said that Obasanjo was the Patron of the council for AIMS’ Next Einstein Initiative, while former Ghanaian President, Mr John Kufuor was Vice-Chair.
Obasanjo described the visit as a huge opportunity for the bank and aims to forge an extraordinary partnership to support African countries in the expansion of mathematical science education, training and research.
He commended the AfDB President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, for championing Africa’s development and assured that the proposed partnership was critical for the continent’s future.
“If we are going to make substantial progress in industrialisation within the next decades the continent must produce well motivated and well trained young innovators,” he said.
Adesina emphasised the need for Africa to develop with pride and pledged the bank’s commitment to build a partnership with AIMS that would allow the continent to compete with the rest of the world.
“We must recognize that the world is moving fast. Consequently, how can Africa position itself in a rapidly changing world so that it does not become disadvantaged?”
“We are a knowledge-driven bank and think our partnership will help us build quantum knowledge for growth.
“We are excited about the focus on young people and we also like the regional integration dimension of the work that AIMS does.”
Adesina also promised to convene a meeting of donors to discuss AIMS’ funding request, anf the need for greater participation by the private sector.
Of particulay interest are key industries that benefit from the institution’s research and work in science, technology and innovation.
He described the involvement of industry-led research as the driving force of the Silicon Valley and made a case for venture capital and private equity funds to support research outputs from the continent.
Neil Turok, founder of AIMS, described the bank as a leading institution in Africa, adding that the institute was excited about the prospect of a partnership.
He said AIMS’ research and industry-led capacity development aligned with the bank’s High 5s, including its regional integration targets.
“I was trained to believe in Africa. I can tell you AIMS is the most exciting and dynamic science and educational institution in the world and what has driven the institution are the young students from Africa.
“What we are doing at AIMS is to transform Africa by giving opportunities to the youth.
“AIMS is African-owned, African-run, African-operated, but it hosts the best scientists in the world to give African young scientists the stuff they need.
“Our goal is to be the MIT for Africa. We know the impact MIT has on U.S. industry and we want to create the same for Africa, but we struggle with sustainable funding.
“We want to work with AfDB to develop sustainable funding,” he said.
The aim of the partnership programme is to ensure that each of the 54 African countries has an additional 100-250 world-class specialists in mathematical sciences by 2020 to lead research and innovation in various fields.
The cost of the partnership is projected at 54.6 million dollars.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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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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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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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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