David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
The Royal Academy of Engineering, United Kingdom, has officially launched a £100,000 grant programme for Unizik Business School.
The school, which is under Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, recently won the UK Royal Academy of Engineering grant, to boost engineering skills in Africa.
The launching of the programme, Higher Education Partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa 22/24 Programme, which took place at the weekend, raised the hope of African scholars on the possibility of improving their trade through grants from the western world.
Team Lead of the Project, Dr. Chinedu Onyeizugbe, disclosed that the title of the project to be researched by the team was “Catalysing the Employability and Entrepreneurial Impact of Nigeria Graduate Engineers in the Electricity Industry as a Strategic way to Improve Access to Electricity in Nigeria.” He added that the project would last for two years.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK, Prof. Charles Esimone, said that the programme would improve the skills, capacity and employability of Nigerian engineering graduates.
Esimone said: “It will build on the research and innovation capacity of engineering students across higher education institute in the South East Nigeria such as UNIZIK AND Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam.
“It will equally stimulate ties with industries across Anambra State especially in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi while increasing the scale of impact in the state’s economy.”
He urged scholars to take advantage of foreign grants to expand their knowledge and research, adding that the two years training programme of the grant would create employment opportunities and further promote academic relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
The Director of UNIZIK Business School, Professor Emma Okoye, said the programme is aimed at addressing the engineering skills deficit in Africa, South of the Saharan as well as to showcase the role of engineering in driving inclusive economic development in the region.
