NLNG, NCDMB break ground for research, innovation centre at Rivers State University

By Onu Okorie

Efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s indigenous research and technological capacity received a major boost on Thursday as the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) broke ground for a Research and Innovation Centre for Computer and Electrical Engineering (RICCEE) at Rivers State University.
The project, described as NLNG’s largest Human Capital Development Institutional Strengthening initiative to date, is designed to enhance the university’s capacity to conduct advanced, industry-relevant research, provide specialised training and develop technological solutions for Nigeria’s energy and industrial sectors.
As part of the initiative, a professorial chair will be established to support the development of a fully operational research and development hub focused on industry challenges, particularly those confronting NLNG.
Successful research outcomes from the centre are expected to have commercial potential and wider applications across various industries.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, described the project as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future and a practical demonstration of the company’s commitment to sustainable human capital development.
Falade, who was represented by NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, said the centre would strengthen the university’s ability to produce highly skilled professionals while undertaking research that responds directly to industry needs.
He said RICCEE would also deepen the relationship between academic knowledge and practical industry requirements by creating opportunities for researchers and professionals to collaborate on innovations with commercial and developmental value.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the Board’s Director, Capacity Building, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, described the groundbreaking as a significant milestone in the implementation of the Board’s Human Capital Development objectives.
According to him, the project forms part of NCDMB’s Human Capital Development Institutional Strengthening Programme, which seeks to establish sustainable partnerships with higher institutions by providing infrastructure that improves teaching, research, innovation and practical skills development.
Ogbe challenged the centre to become a vibrant hub of discovery, creativity, enterprise and technological advancement, where students could develop innovative ideas, researchers could find solutions to real-world problems and industry could establish reliable research and development partnerships.
He commended NLNG for its commitment to the project and praised the Governing Council, Vice-Chancellor and management of Rivers State University for their dedication to academic excellence.
The Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, said the project was in line with the university’s 2026–2030 strategic development plan, which prioritises improved academic programmes, research collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Zeb-Obipi said RICCEE would provide an important platform for advancing those objectives, adding that the university envisaged the centre as a world-class hub where researchers and students could develop practical solutions to engineering and technological challenges.
He said the centre would also create opportunities for stronger university-industry collaboration and facilitate the transformation of innovative ideas into useful products, technologies and services.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed appreciation to NLNG and NCDMB for their support, reaffirming the university’s commitment to ensuring that the centre is effectively utilised to strengthen research, develop human capacity, foster innovation and deepen collaboration with industry and other educational institutions.