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The Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd. and the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen technological innovations in the country. The MoU proposes the establishment of an African Centre of Excellence for the academic exchange of post graduates researchers.
The deal will enable the parties to collaborate on innovative products and also ensure that all technological products are duly registered in Nigeria as well as at the international level before they enter the market.
The Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, NIGCOMSAT Ltd Abimbola Alale also said the collaboration is aimed at ensuring that the two government bodies reached out to customers with their products. She stressed that the country has several breakthroughs in technological innovations to her credit.
While welcoming the Vice Chancellor of FUT, Professor Bala Abdullahi at NIGCOMSAT’s Ground Control Centre in Abuja, Alale, said that all technology innovations should be registered through the relevant regulatory bodies believing that if scientific research and technological products are duly registered, the country can claim ownership of such products and make money from it.
She noted that FUT has distinguished itself in research innovations having won many grants and recognitions at the global and national levels.
Alale believes that NIGCOMSAT products and services like Staff Attendance And Control System (SAACS), ‘Internet of thing’, Internet Services, e-voting, and others are very much available to impact positively place the country at par with other technology driven economy emphasising that the collaboration will further be opened to the academic community.
Professor Abdullahi expressed happiness on the collaboration while asserting that FUT was doing its best to improve the quality of education in the country.
Abdullahi said the MoU offers an opportunity for the two public institutions to leverage on each other’s core competency. He regards “NIGCOMSAT is the right outlet to market research products.”
An optimistic NIGCOMSAT’s Executive Director, Technical Services, Mr. Kolawole Raji urged the two parties to be committed to the MoU to foster home-grown technology in line with the Presidential Executive order 003-005.
Executive Director, Marketing and Business Development, Hon. Samson Osagie, said the partnership is a new window of change and collaboration between the university community and a satellite business organisation.
