CNS SEEKS R&D INTERVENTION IN NIGERIAN NAVY TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS FROM TEDFUND
Oru Leonard
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas has called for a closer collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), on Research and Development (R&D), in order to consolidate on the modest achievements of the Nigerian Navy (NN), in domestic ship construction programme and other innovative ventures.
He stated this while playing host to the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Professor Suleiman Bogoro who led other members of TETFund on a courtesy visit to the Naval Headquarters. He noted the impact of the Defence and Security Sub-Committee of TETFund and its focus on defence and security related research and development with the academia and industry.
The CNS called for TETFund’s special intervention in the areas of students’ scholarship and academic research as well as physical development of infrastructure such as workshops and laboratories at Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN), Nigerian Naval engineering College, (NNEC), Sapele and Nigerian Navy Finance and Logistics College (NNFLC) Owerrinta. According to the CNS, if this aim is achieved, it will greatly enhance opportunities for national growth and development as well as help the Service in fulfillment of its strategic goals and objectives.
Vice Admiral Ibas informed that the NN has promoted excellence in the professional training of its personnel and welfare education support system. This contribution of the Service to nation-building has been invaluable which has led to the upgrade of the NN’s two professional schools; NNEC and NNFLC to Polytechnic status. Vice Admiral Ibas also revealed that the highpoint of the NN tertiary education efforts culminated in the establishment of the Admiralty University of Nigeria ADUN in 2017 through collaboration with Hellenic Education Nigeria. He asserted that in line with Nigeria’s strategic maritime interest and aspirations, NN professional colleges and ADUN remain poised to improve domestic knowledge, skills and aptitude for both personnel of the NN and the general public towards maritime wealth creation, national security and development.
Vice Admiral Ibas applauded the contributions of TETFund in the re-engineering of tertiary education in Nigeria especially in areas of infrastructural and human resource development. He added that the visit presented a unique opportunity for the two institutions to deepen genial relationship in the interest of the nation. The CNS particularly welcomed collaborations with the Fund in Research and Development as well as other ground-breaking concepts to reduce dependence on the use of exorbitant foreign platforms and equipment for the defence of the nation’s territorial integrity.
