By Saidu Idris
365Daily – The Founder and General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, has built and donated a fully equipped Central Research Laboratory complex to the University of Lagos.
The University of Lagos is the clergyman’s Alma Mata.
The project, according to the church, is part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its contribution to research and development in Nigeria.
Dr. Olukoya said: “As part of the innovative steps of the University of Lagos to elevate research to capacity and capability development and implementation, the need to establish and strengthen a core Central Research Laboratory was imperative.
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“The overall goal is to use good science to drive multidisciplinary research and development efforts toward product development/improvement, innovative services, and the elucidation of critical scientific queries.”
The physical infrastructure that was made available to the university, “was made possible through the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories donated by Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Onike, Lagos to his Alma Mata.
“The facility is a massive three-wing complex with three floors covering 1000sq metres located adjacent to the Faculty of Engineering complex on the main campus of the University at Akoka, Lagos State.
Giving reasons for the decision to embark on the project, the Pastor said:”The decline of research activities in Nigeria is a consequence of obsolete research facilities, especially in the Universities. Laboratories are not well equipped to train students and conduct research.
Thus, inadequate infrastructure and out-of-date equipment were a major challenge to conducting research that is tailored to addressing our national needs and those that can support competitive global research.
“Early career researchers and students scout for laboratories abroad where they are accepted to carry out research along with international supervisors for short to long duration, and jointly publish papers. Though well-intended, it does not give the Nigerian Universities the much-desired visibility, rating, and capacity development opportunities.”