PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc has donated equipment to upgrade Chemical Engineering and Chemistry laboratories at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
The Supply Chain Director, Africa, Ifeanyichukwu Abadom, who represented the CEO of the company at the occasion, said the donation was in fulfillment of the tripartite MoU signed between PZ Cussons, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and five other universities to support NOTAP-initiated research upgrade laboratory project.
In his remarks, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Esuabana Nko Asanye, commended the company for partnering with NOTAP in providing research infrastructure in the universities thereby enhancing local research capacity.
Also speaking at the event, the Acting Director General, NOTAP Dr Idoreyin Imiyoho commended the partnership between PZ Cussons and NOTAP in upgrading the laboratories.
She acknowledged PZ Cussons as the only industry to partner in the project’ since its inception in 2014. In his response, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Maduebibisi Iwe expressed his appreciation to PZ Cussons and NOTAP for ‘the first of its kind intervention’ to the departments coming at a critical time when the university budget is low. The project is to deepen NOTAP mandate of entrenching technology acquisition and encouraging Nigerian industries to explore and patronise abundant intellectual resources in our research institutions.