Unilag gets N5bn in the form of international grants which it plans to invest in car emission reductions

NIGERIA's University of Lagos has successfully attracted N5bn ($13.7m) from international agencies over the last one year for research and development and it plans to invest the funds in reducing car emissions.

Most of Nigeria's universities struggle to raise funds for research, which is why very little investment goes into development projects in the country. Professor Dixon Akinleye, the chairman of the university sub-committee, abstract, made the revelation at a news conference in Lagos at the university's 14th Research Conference and Fair.

He said that the university would, at the  conference and fair, showcase a zero emission car invented from the funding. Professor Akinleye said that the foreign grants had gone a long way in supporting the university in its quest for more research activities and innovations.

Professor Akinleye added: “In the last one year, this university has attracted about N5bn by way of external funding for research and development. One of such grants is for the invention of a zero emission car which is one of the things to be showcased at the forthcoming conference.

“Professor Samson Adeosun, a lead scientist, led a group of students from the Faculty of Engineering to achieve this feat. Also, part of what this grant has done for us as an institution is that some teams are looking at coming up with a solar refrigerator and cooler as well as solar incubator.

“We also have a group that has already developed a more efficient brake pad made from re-cycled materials. This too was carried out by students from the Faculty of Engineering in the Department of Metallurgical and Material Engineering and supervised by Professor Olumuyiwa Agunsoye.”