The Julius Okojie Central Research Laboratory (JOCRL) of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA has been accepted as an Instrumental Access Awardee by the Seeding Labs in Boston Massachusetts, USA. The award consists of an opportunity to select individual items of equipment, glassware, and consumables to meet their specific needs for teaching and research. The award followed the success of an application initiated by the Director of the Laboratory, Professor Folasade Olajuyigbe in August 2023. The Laboratory has already taken possession of equipment worth $200,000 equivalent of about N318,000,000 (Three Hundred and Eighteen Million Naira).
Conveying the award via a letter, Chief Executive Officer, Melissa Wu said “It is my pleasure to inform you that the Central Research Laboratory, Federal University of Technology Akure has been accepted as an Instrumental Access Awardee. We were particularly impressed with the calibre of the application submitted by Professor Folasade Mayowa Olajuyigbe and the level of excellence of your organization. The most important quality we look for in new awardees is whether access to additional equipment and resources will help to unlock tapped potential, and it is clear that this is the case at your institution. We look forward to working with you and your colleagues throughout the university to provide your scientists and your students with laboratory equipment and supplies necessary to conduct life-changing research and train the next generation of scientists. I hope that that this program is the beginning of a fruitful relationship between our organizations which will continue beyond the Instrumental Access Shipment.”
A total of 106 items (7,000 points) was selected and this was estimated to the tune of $193,305.85. The shipment arrived FUTA on 1st August 2024. The equipment received include items such as glove box, with temp and humidity control (PLAS-LABS), Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) system (GE), reaction Collector (GE), Refrigerated Centrifuge (HETTICH), -86°C Freezer (Lab Repco), 4°C Refrigerator, Nano spectrophotometer, MAS-100 VF Air Sampler (Millipore) Sigma), Microtome bMicrotome, Reichert-Jung Biocut 2030 BIOCUT, PCR Thermal cycler (Veriti 96), Metallurgical Microscope, Ephiphot 200 w LHS-H100-1 (NIKON), Ductless Fume Hood, Infrared heat sterilizer, Dissolved Oxygen meter, Conductivity meter, among others.
The Central Research laboratory has four components: Analytical, Bioresearch, Nutrition and Diagnostics laboratories. It is therefore fulfilling that with the donated equipment from Seeding Labs, the Bioresearch and Diagnostic laboratories will now become better equipped and more functional while the analytical and nutritional laboratories are also enhanced with items to serve more departments and schools, especially School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT), School of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SEET), School of Life Sciences (SLS), School of School of Physical Sciences and School of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Other Schools and institutions could also visit the Central Research Laboratory to meet their research needs.
Congratulating the Director of JOCRL, Professor Olajuyigbe, on the feat, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, said the award was an honour well deserved. She said that it was a testimony to the crop of quality academic and non-academic staff that FUTA has been blessed with. The Vice Chancellor also remarked that “The University is indeed proud of this laudable achievement which will not only bring recognition to FUTA but will further confirm the status of our university as a centre of excellence.”
The process which took almost 12 months was in stages starting with: Submission of application, zoom interview of shortlisted applicants, Release of Acceptance letter to Applicant, Signing of Letter of Agreement by Head of institution, Virtual meeting between FUTA Team. Awardees also have access to a membership of a vibrant and growing network that includes 105 institutions in 39 countries as well as more than 200 corporations. Seeding Labs is a top US-based non-profit organization that seeks to create a world where science and the institutions that sustain it can thrive everywhere, illuminating a brighter and healthier future for all.
The Director, Central Research Laboratory, Prof Folasade Olajuyigbe said the CRL equipment portal will soon be launched once populated with the donated equipment to avail all researchers and students a quick access to available facilities at the Central Research laboratory, easier mode of operations and communication between FUTA CRL and clients for better service delivery.
The Vice Chancellor and Principal Officers, including the Chair, Committee of Deans, visited the Central Research laboratory to inspect the donated equipment on Monday, 5th August 2024. The Vice Chancellor was happy to see the donated equipment and again congratulated the Director for this laudable achievement. She noted that the equipment should be quickly installed to enhance their service to researchers and scientists within and outside FUTA community. She also expressed appreciation to Seeding Labs for the donation made to the best University of Technology in Nigeria and looks forward to more collaborations with the nonprofit organization based in Boston, USA that supports current and future scientific leaders in developing countries who are dedicated to using their expertise to serve their communities. Seeding Labs also increases access to resources like scientific equipment and connections so that scientists and students can innovate, teach, and learn.”