ABUJA: National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has announced a personal donation of ₦100 million to Akwa Ibom State University, aimed at catalyzing cutting-edge research with direct societal and economic benefits.
Special Adviser to the chairman on Media and Communications Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, in a statement said the gesture highlights a significant leap in private-sector support for academia.
Beyond the financial grant, Professor Yilwatda pledged to facilitate a strategic partnership between the university’s Vice Chancellor and key authorities in the United States to establish a world-class institute within the campus.
He noted that this move is designed to ensure the institution’s students remain globally competitive in an increasingly digital world.
Making the announcement in line with his advocacy for repositioning Nigerian universities as engines of innovation, Yilwatda emphasized that research is the soul of any world-class institution.
He stated that the grant is specifically dedicated to strengthening research outputs that address pressing national challenges and translate abstract knowledge into practical solutions.
Yilwatda observed that Nigeria’s investment in research currently sits below 0.5 percent of the GDP, far behind the OECD benchmark of 2 percent, and described this gap as a critical opportunity for visionary intervention.
The research fund is expected to prioritize high-impact areas vital to Nigeria’s future, including flood modeling in coastal regions, climate adaptation in the Niger Delta, and the optimization of offshore oil production.
Other key areas identified by the professor include sustainable fisheries management and renewable energy integration. He argued that emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and big data analytics must be deployed to move research from theory to tangible impact, particularly in resource-rich regions like Akwa Ibom.
Drawing comparisons to global giants like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, Professor Yilwatda stressed that Akwa Ibom State University has the potential to drive regional development through strong industry linkages.
He made it clear that his involvement would go beyond the donation, as he intends to personally supervise and monitor the implementation of the research projects to ensure transparency, excellence, and measurable outcomes. He proposed an increase in the grant should the initial ₦100 million be utilized effectively.
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