UNILORIN, DMU collaboration will yield positive results– Project team
The University of Ilorin’s African Agriculture Knowledge Transfer Partnership (AAKTP) project team has said that the collaboration between UNILORIN and De Montfort University (DMU), Leicester, UK, will yield positive results for the two institutions.
This assertion was made at the end of the second AAKTP Local Management Committee (LMC) monthly stakeholders meeting, held recently at Microscale Embedded Limited, Abuja.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, a copy of which was made available to UNILORIN BULLETIN last Friday (January 12, 2024), Dr Musliu Olushola Sunmonu of the Food Engineering Department and his counterpart from the same Department, Prof. Joshua Olaoye, appreciated the contributions of everyone towards the success of the project.
They also expressed happiness with the level of development recorded so far on the project.
The team disclosed that about 82 subscribers are already on board, ready for the take-off of the project.
Top on the agenda of the stakeholders’ meeting were the presentation of the report of the real field exercise held between September 7 and October 24, 2023; the financial statement from August to October, 2023 and updates on progress reports from the Associate Facilitator (Business Supervisor), KTP Advisors and the Academics.
While making further comments on the outcome of the meeting, Dr Sunmonu disclosed that the fieldwork, which cut across the local government areas in Kwara State noted for rice plantation with full participation of all the Research Assistants and AAKTP Associates, was also discussed.
According to him, the local government areas are Ilorin South, Ilorin East, Ilorin West, Oyun, Asa, Patigi, Edu, Ifelodun, and Moro with 82 respondents out of which 47 are males and 35 are females.
On his part, Prof. Olaoye appreciated the team for the major improvement achieved on the major components of the apps.
He advised the company to feel free and connect with the University of Ilorin academics for necessary field data that will improve the apps.
Prof. Olaoye, who is the National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE), also gave an updated report on the academic aspect of the project. He said that two reviewed papers are ready to be sent to reputable Q1 journal outlets.
He said, “The outcome of our meeting with the management of De Montfort University regarding future collaborations with the University of Ilorin recorded a huge success”, adding that the next LMC meeting has been scheduled to be held on Monday, March 18, 2024 at the same venue beginning from 10:00 a.m.”
In his remarks at the meeting, the Microscale Embedded Limited’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ahmad Sadiq, who is also a partner on the project, described the meeting as an important aspect of the project, believing that it will achieve its objectives.
Represented by the AAKTP Associate, who is also the Company Supervisor, Mr Khalil Ibrahim Usman, Mr Sadiq disclosed that the action plan for the project for the next three months includes the design and implementation of E-commerce and back-end design, which has been designed to an appreciable level but only requires perfection.
Present at the meeting were Mr Dare Mobolaji (AAKTP Associate), Emmanuel Tosin Olorumaiye, Nafiu Opeyemi, and Kelechi Azunna Benny all of Microscale Embedded Limited; the KTP Adviser, Mr Ken Frame from Knowledge Transfer Network, Sharon Rehoboth (Innovate UK Nigeria BDM); Dr Ali Jwaid (UK Academic Knowledge Based Lead and Supervisor and from De Montfort University, Leicester); Darsheet Chauhan (Knowledge Exchange Officer and from De Montfort University, Leicester), Ahmad Sadiq (CEO, Microscale), Emmanuel Olorunmaiyes, and Kelechi Azunna Benny(from Microsoft) joined the meeting both physically and virtually.