13 varsities benefit NCC’s N233m ICT Research Grants
TECHDIGEST: The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has awarded fresh research grants and endowed professorial chairs in some Nigerian universities in the sum of N233 million.
From the total sum, N172.5 million was awarded to support 13 proposals found to have met NCC’s criteria for telecommunications-based research. In addition, three universities received N20 million each for endowments of professorial chair by the Commission.
Speaking at the award ceremony, which took place at the Commission’s Head Office in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Umar Danbatta, said the event demonstrated the commission’s strong resolve in advancing the impact of digital technologies on the national economy, using indigenous products and solutions.
While presenting award letters to the lead researchers, Mr Danbatta said the commission received 55 research proposal that focused on five emerging technology areas, namely: Fifth Generation (5G) deployment; Innovative Clean Energy; Advanced Method of Quality of Service (QoS)/Quality of Experience Management and Test Mechanism; Internet of Things (IoT); Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) Technology; and Monitoring and Localising of Drones.
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“After thorough evaluations, 13 proposals were found to have met the stipulated criteria. Indeed, this is a clear testimony to the objectivity and painstaking approach to the evaluation process aimed at ensuring that the best quality is achieved and only researches that could produce prototypes with the potential of providing solutions to both local and global challenges were selected,” Danbatta said as he congratulates the 13 successful research awardees,” he said.
“The Commission has endowed professorial chairs in tertiary institutions across the country, as a mechanism in entrenching innovations in our tertiary institutions, as well as having graduates that are “industry-ready”. The endowment of professorial chairs in universities is one of Commission’s initiatives in supporting the academia to focus on research in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in order to enhance the advancements of emerging technologies,” Mr Danbatta said.
The fresh endowment in the three universities brings to seven, the number of universities that the Commission has endowed professorial chairs. Earlier, the NCC had instituted professorial chairs in Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State; Bayero University, Kano, Kano State; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi State; and University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Mr Danbatta said that with the latest awards and endowments, the Commission has committed more than N660 million to Nigerian tertiary institutions for ICT-focused research innovations.
Expressing appreciation on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Vice Chancellor, Usman Danfodio University, Lawal Bilbis, assured the Commission that the funds will be put to judicious use.
