National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Nentawe Yilwatda has donated N100 million to Akwa Ibom State University to support research.
The announcement was made on Thursday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in a statement signed by Abimbola Tooki, Special Adviser to the National Chairman of the APC on Media and Communications Strategy.
Chairman Yilwatda said the fund would support research aimed at addressing national challenges and producing practical solutions.
He stated that research plays a central role in university development and national growth.
He noted that Nigeria’s investment in research is below 0.5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product, compared to the OECD benchmark of 2 percent.
He said the gap presents an opportunity for intervention.
According to him, the fund will prioritise areas such as flood modelling in coastal regions, climate adaptation in the Niger Delta, offshore oil production, fisheries management and renewable energy integration.
He said technologies including artificial intelligence modelling, data analytics and digital research platforms should be applied to research activities, especially in regions such as Akwa Ibom State.
The APC chairman also referenced institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, citing their research models and links with industry.
He said Akwa Ibom State University could align its research with local needs while maintaining international collaboration.
Yilwatda pledged to increase the grant if the initial N100 million is used as intended.
He also said he would monitor the implementation of the projects.
He said the university should pursue international partnerships through research clusters, doctoral programmes and online visiting scholar initiatives.
The APC chairman added that research development should be accompanied by improvements in teaching and learning.
He called for the adoption of blended learning, adaptive systems, virtual laboratories and simulations in fields such as marine biology, offshore engineering and energy analytics.
He described the donation as a commitment to research development and urged the university to use the fund to produce measurable outcomes.
