No fewer than 12 student research groups at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) on Wednesday received N12 million as grant for research in innovation and entrepreneurial activities.
Prof. Emenike Ejiogu, Director, Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power Energy and Development (ACE-SPED) disclosed this in Nsukka at an event to issue certificates and disburse the grant to the benefiting groups.
Ejiogu said that the management of UNN and the ACE-SPED are collaborating in the project.
He said that many student research groups in the institution applied for the grant, but only 12 scaled through, considering the relevance of their proposal on innovations, entrepreneurship and technology transfer to the society.
“The 12 students research groups were selected because they generated innovation, entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer ideas for sustainable energy and power development.
“Their research will lead to significant commercialisation and equally create solutions toward solving some challenges in the energy and power sector of our society,’’ he said.
He said ACE-SPED seed grants for sustainable energy and power sought to encourage student researchers in entrepreneurial skills and innovation across sub-Saharan Africa.
Ejiogu, who is also the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, UNN, said that the centre would monitor and evaluate the performance of the groups, adding that those who did well would receive more grants.
“Our target is to adopt the best three and grow them into full commercial businesses and link them to industries.
“But if at the end, all the 12 groups performed very well, that will be great as the country will benefit more since the research of the 12 would solve one particular need of the society or the other.
“The principal aim of the ACE-SPED Innovation Seed Grants is to provide monetary backing for research endeavours that correspond with the innovation objectives of the centre,’’ Ejiogu said.
The director explained that the centre, as a World-Bank sponsored organisation, had focus on sustainable energy, electric power system development, renewable energy, waste-to-energy conversion, energy conservation, energy management and energy resource among others.
Also speaking, Prof. Victor Aigbodion, Industrial Liaison Officer of ACE-SPED, said that the groups were expected to deliver their research results within six months period.
He explained that some items that the research groups would produce as contained in their proposals include 1kv Solar Generator, Bio-ethanol from agro waste, kith to Test for Ripe Watermelon among others.
“I am the chairman of the Selection Committee and will monitor them to ensure they deliver within six months.
“The centre has over 52 industries nationally and internationally to link finished products of the groups for commercial production.
“The research we conduct in this centre is one that will be commercialised and not one that will be dumped in book shelves,” he said.
Aigbodion said the selected 12 groups should count themselves lucky as more than 30 applications were received by his committee from different departments research groups in UNN.
“As the Industrial liaison officer of the centre, I ensured that proposals selected are capable of solving one society problem or the other as well as be of interest to many industries,” he said.
According to Aigbodion, the N1 million would be paid in three installments; N500,000, N300,000 and N200,000.
Responding on behalf of other groups, Ms Modesta Eze, who is a member of the group that will produce Bio-ethanol and Mr Innocent Okolie, who is of the group to produce 1kv Solar Generator pledged their commitment to deliver within six months period.
They thanked the centre for giving them the opportunity to showcase their intellectual endowment and creativity by given them the grant.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was witnessed by many top management staff of ACE-SPED and UNN. (NAN)
