The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has tasked the Management of the IBB University for more collaboration on oil exploration in the Bida Basin, one of the seven inland basins in the country.
Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, gave the charge when he received in his office in Abuja the Chairman of Council and Members of the Governing Board of the University based in Lapai, Niger State.
Dr. Baru commended the institution on the search for oil in the basin, stressing that NNPC was pleased with the excellent services offered by the Ivory Tower in that regard.
He expressed delight at the initiative of the university in the development of renewable energy, disclosing that the corporation had signed an MoU with four states on the development of renewable energy projects, which when completed, would not only produce fuels, but also generate about 50 megawatts of electricity.
He told the Management of the University that NNPC was committed to the development of indigenous technology to place the country on the part of economic growth and sustainable development.
Dr. Baru, who described universities as centres for research and development, stated that NNPC would collaborate with them to benefit from the array of expertise they have, saying this position informed the theme of his recent convocation lecture at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
Speaking earlier, IBB University’s Chairman of Council, Dr. Mohammed Saminu Turaki, commended the GMD for sustaining the exploration activities in the inland basins and development of renewable energy, saying he was delighted NNPC was involved in research into areas complimentary to the hydrocarbon resources.
He said the institution had depth of competence in the renewable energy, while expressing delight that its scope of collaboration with NNPC was beyond hydro carbon.
On his part, Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Mohammed Nasirudeen Maiturari, said the collaboration with NNPC had boosted the profile of the university.
He stated that the university’s rapport with the NNPC GMD dated back to the time he was Group Executive Director (GED), Exploration and Production, during which time he offered them technical advice on exploration in the basin.
The Vice Chancellor commended Dr. Baru on his recent Zik prize for Professional Leadership Award, 2017, assuring the GMD that the unflinching support he has been giving for advancing the course of inland basin exploration in Nigeria would outlive him.
