The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and the University of Ilorin have agreed to establish a development-collaboration that will entail a short term work and learning experience for Academic Staff of the university on one hand, and for Technical Staff of the Agency on the other hand.
The internship program, according to the organisations, will serve as a platform for the acquisition of professional learning experience for beneficiaries toward the realisation of the set goal of economic diversification and advancement of mining and geosciences in the country.
Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole and the Director General, NGSA, Professor Olusegun Omoniyi Ige made the disclosure when the Vice Chancellor and some members of his management team paid a congratulatory visit to the Director General, at the NGSA Headquarters, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Egbewole, who is a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said that internship is one of the ways by which the university desires to collaborate with the NGSA toward the realisation of the mandates of both organisations. He explained that as expected, the University of Ilorin is mandated to embark on research and the dissemination of knowledge, while the NGSA will explore the country to provide geoscience data on minerals, with the aim to create wealth while diversifying and developing the economy.
Egbewole stated: “In the university, we pride ourselves with research and teaching, while NGSA is exploring to create wealth for sustainable development. We want to work with the NGSA. We are happy that some of our students are on internship here at the NGSA, we want more of it.”
“We want more in terms of internships for lecturers and professors while NGSA staff will also visit the universities for a program or the other.”
Egbewole, who visited the Agency in the company of Dr. Marouf Abdul Adekunle and Mr. Salaudeen Abdulrahaman, addressed Professor Ige, saying: “I am here to formally congratulate and visit our own Prof. Olusegun Ige on his appointment as Director General of the NGSA,” adding that the University of Ilorin is proud of him while the “NGSA is extremely lucky” to have him as its helmsman.
It is pertinent to note that until his appointment as Director General of the NGSA, Prof. Ige was with the University of Ilorin where he served as Head, Department of Geology and Mineral Sciences.
The Vice Chancellor, who described Ige as an illustrious product of the University, said the relationship between NGSA and the University will continue to blossom.
“We have been planning to pay him a visit and we are happy it is happening today,” Egbewole said, adding that he wished the visit was earlier.
Declaring goodwill and support for the Director General, the Vice Chancellor said: “As a university, we appreciate his personality as an individual. He has our support. The University of Ilorin and NGSA will collaborate in a way that will enhance what we are doing.”
While saying that the Agency has a crucial role to play in the realisation of the set goal of developing the minerals sector for national economic diversification, he expressed optimism that the University and the Agency will spell out terms of the partnership, stating: “After this meeting, we look forward to an MoU between the University of Ilorin and the NGSA.”
Earlier, the Director General welcomed the visiting Vice Chancellor to the Agency, and assured of the determination of President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake to transform the economy by developing the minerals sector.
He discussed NGSA as an agency of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development that “focuses on mineral exploration in a scientific manner,” adding that it generates the geoscience data needed for investment in the mineral sector that will “enhance national economic development.”
While saying that the NGSA is currently over 100 years old, the Director General pointed out that it clocked 100 Years in 2019, adding that it has 27 offices across the country.
“We have six Zonal Offices across the nation and have over 400 staff,” he stated.
The Director General assured that the Agency will continue to deploy relevant scientific strategies to achieve its mandate, stating that it applies different tools acquired by its technical staff while they were students at various universities. He said the strategies include professional application of geophysics, economic geology, regional geology and other aspects of the geosciences.
He commended the Vice Chancellor for ensuring qualitative dissemination of knowledge at the University of Ilorin, adding that NGSA has over twenty staff who are products of the university.
The NGSA Director General commended the Directors of the various departments of the agency for their support. He explained that their commitment to professional execution of duty makes his work as helmsman easy.
“I am happy because the Directors of the various departments are succeeding, thereby making my work easy,” he said, adding that the Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors are also cooperating.
Prof Ige mentioned some efforts made by the current management of the Agency, saying: “Upon assumption of duty, we activated the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS), the first of its kind in Nigeria, which is used in mineral analysis,” adding that the milestone helps to prevent capital flight while adding value to minerals in Nigeria.
Further discussing the economic significance of the ICPMS for Nigeria, he noted that mining businesses and geoscience practitioners no longer need to send mineral samples to foreign laboratories for testing, as NGSA is able to test and analyse the samples using its ICPMS Laboratory.
Ige disclosed that NGSA has also created linkages to the universities by establishing the “NGSA Best Final Year Award.” He said the Agency established the award in order to encourage scholarly pursuit of learning and for the overall development of the country. He disclosed that the maiden award was won by a student of the University of Ilorin.
Director, Regional Geology, Mr. Umar Bature who spoke on behalf of the Directors, thanked the Vice Chancellor and his team for the visit. He described Professor Ige as a leader who is passionate about the welfare of all staff, stating that the inclusive leadership style of the Director General has created in staff, the consciousness of duty and feeling of importance, irrespective of status.
