Federal University Lokoja (FUL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday with the Nigeria–Korea Friendship Institute of Vocational and Advanced Technology in Kogi State. The agreement is meant to widen opportunities for advanced training, research and technological innovation.
FUL Vice-Chancellor Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye said the university remained committed to strategic partnerships. He spoke after signing the agreement in Lokoja.
The MoU followed talks between a FUL delegation and the Institute’s Rector, Dr Onumoh Ahmed Yahaya. It builds on a collaborative network established by Professor Kayode Joshua Simonyan, Dean of FUL’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology.
Ibileye was accompanied by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Saliu Danlamin Musa, Registrar Dr Rebecca Okojie, Dr Razaq Medupin, Legal Director Mrs Amina Aliyu, and Transport Officer Mr Ahmed Muazu, among others.
Speed of agreement
Ibileye thanked Yahaya for responding quickly to the university’s request for an audience and for promptly approving the visit to formalise the partnership. He said such agreements often take weeks or months to negotiate and process, so the pace here was encouraging. He described it as evidence of the Rector’s commitment to collaboration.
He said FUL’s Governing Council, though occupied with its own engagements, had acknowledged the importance of the meeting and urged him to prioritise it because of its strategic value.
International students
Ibileye said the partnership would benefit more than the two institutions. He said it would give future Nigerian and international students access to specialised facilities and relevant skills, and a chance to contribute to technological advancement.
He said FUL currently has four postgraduate students from Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Zambia pursuing master’s and doctoral programmes in Engineering Physics. He said he expected the partnership to attract more foreign students and strengthen the university’s research capacity.
Students who gain international exposure through the collaboration would share their experiences in their home countries, raising FUL’s profile as a destination for advanced study, he said. He called the MoU a foundation for wider opportunities and expressed confidence it would yield significant academic, technological and developmental results.
Institute’s potential
Yahaya said institutional partnerships should serve Nigeria’s collective interests rather than those of individual institutions or localities.
He said the Institute’s buildings, equipment and specialised facilities were set up with support from the Republic of Korea, giving Nigeria a significant base for technological advancement, research and vocational training. He said, however, that the Institute’s potential had not been fully tapped, and that its facilities could support its emergence as a leading centre for specialised training and technological development.
The Rector said he was committed to revitalising the Institute so its facilities deliver tangible outcomes for national development. He said the Institute remained open to collaboration beyond the new MoU, particularly in areas that maximise the value of its infrastructure and technical resources.
Reflecting on the Institute’s decade of operation, Yahaya said more progress could have been made, especially in developing local technological production and assembly, including the assembly of Korean technologies where feasible. He said the right partnerships, sustained commitment and effective implementation could transform the Institute within a relatively short time.
He called the MoU with FUL an important step towards that goal and said he hoped its commitments would produce practical results.
Views: 3
