LAGOS – Six years after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on the deployment of its metallurgical science laboratory at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has renewed the pact.
The memorandum was renewed on Wednesday in Lagos by Capt. Alex Badeh Jr, the Director-General, NSIB and Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG.
The initial MoU signed with the university, entailed relocation of some of the equipment in the laboratory to UNILAG.
Speaking at the renewed ceremony, Badeh Jr.at the UNILAG Senate Building, assured that the bureau would fast-track the relocation of some of the equipment in the laboratory for the use of the institution.
According to him, the initial agreement was not followed up due to some logistics reasons, noting that on assumption of office in December 2023, he met the MoU on ground, which required renewal.
The NSIB boss stressed that there was no reason the MoU should remain to lie fallow, which necessitated his move to renew the pact.
Due to some logistics, the equipment had not been moved since the MoU was signed in 2018, which prompted the new leadership of NSIB to renew the pact.
He said: “Well, the initial one was signed in 2018, like you said. And between then and now, I know there have been subsequent meetings between UNILAG and the NSIB, but there was no real follow through for whatever reasons, you know, logistics or political reasons.
“And when I took over, I met the MoU there needing a renewal, and I saw the lack of movement with the last MoU. So, we discussed internally. We need University of Lagos expertise and other academia in Nigeria with the NSIB. But, we have some equipment that we can’t use at present.
“You know, we have positive steps after this initial meeting. In two weeks, we’ll have some professors from the department in Abuja as well, come and consult again just to update their past diagnosis, which was four or five years ago? As you know, science is constantly evolving, and things that were attainable then aren’t now. So we know there are some changes and there will be new equipment we need and, you know, just updates to everything.”
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Badeh Jr., agreed that the university and NSIB needed funds to remain relevant, but stressed that the bureau would continue to collaborate with the institution and others in a bid to continue to move in the right direction.
Earlier, Ogunsola expressed the optimism that the equipment would help the university in carrying out its mandate of teaching and research.
According to her, UNILAG AND NSIB were desirous of moving the MoU forward in a collaborative engagement that would help both organisations and the country in general.
She reiterated that UNILAG was intentional to make sure its research was demand-driven, maintaining that it wanted to move Nigeria forward as a university of learning.
“Collaboration is extremely important in shaping the future. The collaboration will not only be beneficial to us as a university but to you (NSIB) as well and propel the manpower Nigeria needs to support the future. We have the capacity but we need support to leverage on the capacity,” she said.
Prof. Samson Adeosun, Dean, Faculty of Engineering of the university, urged the NSIB leadership to fast-track the movement of the equipment.
Adeosun pointed out that the university was anticipating that the equipment would be relocated immediately after the initial agreement.
He stated that the school sends samples to Kaduna from Lagos for analysts, noting this would be a thing of the past once the equipment was relocated.
“The aviation industry will benefit. The nation will benefit and it will increase the rating of the laboratory,” he said.
Also on the NSIB team was Esosa Eremwanarue, Legal Services/Company Secretary.
