Uchechukwu Nnaike
2 June 2009
Lagos — Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, (EEPNL), a subsidiary of ExxonMobil has donated equipment to aid research in Geology and the sum of N5,050,000 to each of the six universities under its University Partnering Programme (UPP).
The beneficiaries of the pilot programmme are: University of Benin, Edo State; University of Calabar, Cross River State, University of Ibadan, Oyo State; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State and Delta State University, Abraka.
The donations were the third phase of the programme and the equipment such as a Logitech thin section machine and six petrographic microscopes would be used for analysis.
Managing Director, Ehimade Nigeria Limited, the programme consultant, Dr. Daniel Lambert-Aikhionbare said the selection was based on need, staff/student ratio, curriculum content, staff dedication and ability to tie students' intake to demand.
He said the analytical equipment were essential to field work. "When students come from field work with their rock samples, they require the thin section machine to cut and grind their rock samples to a veneer that will allow light to pass through in order that the constituent minerals may be examined and identified under the petrographic microscopic. This enables them to tell the history of the rock and thus, its potential to host economic minerals, including oil."
He said the total cost of this phase, including mapping logistics and supervisory cost was approximately N169 million.
Executive Director and General Manager, Upstream Nigeria, Exploration, Mr. Chikwendu Edoziem said the programme was developed in 2006 to impact several universities across the board and help improve the educational quality of Geosciences. He said the aim was to develop the community through emphasis on youth development.
"We agreed to invest in an educational project with some empowerment prospects to enhance the quality of Geosciences candidates graduating from universities. The first phase of the programme commenced in 2007 and targeted this discipline, which is important to the oil and gas industry. As part of our ongoing commitment, Esso has invested close to N200 million in this programme in the first two years."
According to him Esso entered into the partnership, where it would provide field mapping equipment, laboratory analytical equipment and logistical support for field trips, including establishment of mapping standards.
Edoziem said the six universities are expected to produce maps of parts of the country of sufficient quality to be published by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA).
He emphasised that each year's funding was contingent on meeting the previous year's milestones and that there was opportunity to phase down the project at any point, if beneficiaries do not meet the company's expectation or expand it if successful.
"We are in the third year of the programme and hope to donate the final set of equipment this year. We expect the universities to continue their annual mapping exercises and produce draft maps of two geological sheets at the end of the year," he said.
He said the company was grounded in research and uses evidence and analysis to make decisions that guide its global energy operations.
Responding on behalf of the recipients, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Calabar, Prof. Bassey Asuquo thanked the company for the equipment and assured that the universities would make good use of the facilities.
He said the challenges in the nation's universities were the quality and relevance of their products. "The equipment will help to enhance quality and will also boost the public-private partnership of the Federal Government."He urged the company to provide personnel to maintain the equipment and to endow chairs in universities and to extend the gesture to other universities and to other fields of science.
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