The Centre of Excellence for Sargassum and Research (CESAR) at the Lagos State University(LASU) Ojo has emerged winner of this year’s tertiary schools research category of the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation exhibition held in Abuja, the federal capital territory.
The university defeated no fewer than 20 other tertiary schools in the country including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Ilorin, Ilorin; Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa; Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu; Federal College of Education, Gombe, Nuhu Damalli Polytechnic, Zaria, among others, that participated in the exhibition to emerge a winner.
The leader of the LASU CESAR team, Prof Martins Anetekhai, who is a former dean of the faculty of science of LASU, gave this hint in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos, on Saturday.
He said the centre presented four major products at the five-day expo, namely: Animal feeds for fish, pigs, chicken, grasscutters and rabbits; Pharmaceutical (Vitamins A & C, Alginate and Fucoidan); construction (ceiling boards and bricks), as well as cosmetics (catfish oil and organic body cream).
He said the Animal feeds products gave the university the winning ticket as they outshined other products from all other schools.
He said more than 340 different products were presented and assessed by the team of assessors from the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation at the event.
Anetekhai, who is a professor of fisheries and aquaculture, said their judgments were based on certain criteria which included the creativity and originality, cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the products, local content, labelling, packaging, presentation, patent, as well as their market viability and contribution to national economic growth and sustainable development, among others.
He said both the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Olorunimbe Mamora, and his junior counterpart, Henry Ikechukwu, as well as the Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr Hakeem Fahm, and the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State governor on Science and Technology, Mr Saheed Balogun, heads of various research institutes, corporate organisations as well as captains of industries at the fair were all impressed by the ingenuity of the LASU centre in its various research works exhibited.
He noted that aside from commending the centre for its efforts, many individuals and corporate bodies as well as government agencies and departments had indicated their willingness and readiness to collaborate with, and support the centre, in areas possible.
Anetekhai, however, pointed out that the centre would not rest on its oars but strive harder to embark on more cutting-edge research activities that are capable of empowering people and touching lives in society.
He thanked both the Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Vice- Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, for supporting the centre in its various projects, saying their support yielded good results for the school and the county at large.
