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AfDB establishes $11m Research centres for students

By on August 23, 2012

The Resident Representative of African Development Bank, Dr. Dore Ousmane, said on Wednesday that the bank had established $11m Information Technology-based research centres to enhance science and technology education for students.

Ousmane made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

He said the bank had supported science and technology education in Nigeria with $11m to address the problem of skill building and knowledge transfer.

According to him, the aim of the project is to come up with critical mass of science and technology originated graduates who will assist to bridge technology gap in the country.

Ousmane said, “The bank is establishing some kind of Information Technology-based research centres for students in Nigeria.

“The essence of this is to have students who are very innovative so that they will be able to carry out what they are expected to do.”

The resident representative said that the same project was also being carried out in Bukina-Faso.

He added that the entire project in both countries was worth $18m, saying that that of  Bukina-Faso took about $7m.

Ousmane said that the project in Nigeria started in 2009 and since then it had been ongoing.

He said the bank had be carrying out oversight visit and to a large extent “we are satisfied with the project”.

“We believe that the desired goals are being achieved and it is our hope too that with the support of other partners, the African continent will get to where we hope,’’ he added.

Ousmane said the bank was also supporting science and technology in Nigeria with a project which was being carried out in African University of Science and Technology, Abuja at the Nelson Mandela Institute.

He said that what the bank was doing in support of the project was in the area of exchange facilities and to ensure that highly qualified academics were attracted to the institution.

He added  that the bank facilitated the coming of the academics  to spend two to three months to impart knowledge to the students in the area of science and technology.

Ousmane said that the bank would also give scholarship to the best students in the university, saying that the aim was to raise highly qualified graduates in the country.

According to him, the bank is giving support in the areas of networking, equipment and building of accommodation for staff and students.

“There is need to access information, so the project is assisting in ensuring that there is network between students and lecturers and access to data and  research materials,’’ he added.

Ousmane added that the effect of the project would not be seen immediately, but would be visible in the next two to three years.

He said the trained students would impart the knowledge acquired to the growth and development of the country.