UK Royal Academy of Engineering launches training programme for UNIZIK students

The Royal Academy of Engineering, United Kingdom, has officially launched a two-year training programme for engineering students at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State.

This follows an award of £100,000 received by Nigeria and five other African countries from the academy  to boost engineering skills in Africa with UNIZIK  being the selected beneficiary institution in Nigeria for the training.

Speaking during the official lunch of the Higher Education Partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa 22/24 programme, held at the UNIZIK Business School conference hall recently,  the vice chancellor of the university, Professor Charles Esimone, said the programme would improve the skills, capacity and employability of Nigerian engineering graduates; build on the research and innovation capacity of engineering students across higher education institutions in south-east Nigeria such as Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbuariam, and equally stimulate ties with industries across Anambra State, especially in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi, while increasing the scale of impact in the state’s economy.”

He noted that the two-year training programme would create employment opportunities and further promote academic relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

In his opening address, the UNIZIK team leader of the training programme, Dr Chinedu Onyeizugbe, said the project entitled, ‘Catalysing The Employability and Entrepreneurial Impact of Nigerian Graduate Engineers in the Electricity Industry as a Strategic Way to Improve Access to Electricity in Nigeria,’ is aimed at improving engineering capacity in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

He said the higher education partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa programme, supported by the Anglo-American Group Foundation and the UK government through the Global Challenges Research Fund, was established by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

According to him, in line with the stipulations of the grant-awarding body, the awardees will work with following partners with the UNIZIK Business School (UBS), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka as the hub; the United Kingdom partners: Teesside University of Middlesbrough TS13BA and V-Lab Limited.

Others are: Nigerian Higher Education partners: Chukwuemeka Odumegwu University Igbariam, Anambra State, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State and Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State.

The industrial partners one: Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC, Fedironic Limited and Century Power Limited and the professional partners: Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Awka branch.

In their separate reactions to the development, the director, UNIZIK Business School, Professor Emma Okoye and the co-awardee of the programme, Mr Ugochukwu Ifediora, said the programme would address the engineering skills deficit in Africa and southern part of the Saharan to showcase the role of engineering in driving inclusive economic development in the region and by forming and strengthening the synergy between the academia and industry in the Africa continent.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

PICTORIAL EXPLAINER: How To Identify Fake New Naira Notes

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released security features to help identify fake new naira notes. According to CBN’s template, the Security features to look out for are the following…

Ondo Councils’ Workers Shut Down Assembly Over LG Autonomy

LOCAL government workers under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ondo, on Tuesday, stormed the State House of Assembly, threatening a showdown with the lawmakers over the signing of local government autonomy…

FG To Discontinue Cash Withdrawal From Public Accounts