Prof. Sunny Orike appointed to occupy chair as RICCEE emerges coordinating hub for six universities

Rivers State University (RSU) is set to strengthen its research capacity, expand its industrial partnerships and enhance its position as a centre for technological innovation following a $1.5 million professorial chair endowment secured from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

The endowment, under a $9 million joint initiative involving six Nigerian universities, is expected to open new opportunities for the university in advanced research, postgraduate training, technology development and the commercialisation of academic discoveries.
Professor Sunny Orike has been appointed to occupy the RSU Professorial Chair, which will focus on digital engineering, intelligent energy systems, automation and asset integrity.

The agreement was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the launch of the NLNG-NCDMB Professorial Chair Endowment Programme at the NLNG headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

A major advantage for RSU is the designation of its NLNG Research and Innovation Centre for Computer and Electrical Engineering (RICCEE) as the coordinating hub for collaboration and knowledge exchange among the six beneficiary universities.

The responsibility is expected to place the university at the centre of a national research network, providing opportunities for its academics and researchers to collaborate with counterparts in other institutions, share expertise and participate in multidisciplinary research projects.

Each of the six universities will receive $1.5 million, bringing the total endowment to $9 million. The other beneficiaries are the University of Ibadan, Modibbo Adama University, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Yakubu Gowon University, formerly known as the University of Abuja.

For RSU, the investment goes beyond the establishment of a professorial chair. It offers an opportunity to strengthen its research infrastructure, attract industry-backed research funding, improve the quality of postgraduate education and produce innovations that can address practical challenges in the energy and technology sectors.

Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi signing the MoU.

It also provides a framework for closer engagement with NLNG and other industrial organisations, enabling the university to align its research priorities with the needs of businesses and industries, particularly in the Niger Delta.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described the endowment as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s intellectual sovereignty and expressed appreciation to NLNG and NCDMB for their investment in the university.

He said the initiative presented an opportunity to transform industry-academia collaboration from the signing of Memoranda of Understanding into what he described as a “Memorandum of Action”, characterised by practical results in research, innovation and technological development.

According to him, the professorial chair would promote research that addresses Nigerian problems, supports local content development and provides practical solutions to industrial challenges.

He added that the initiative would strengthen the capacity of young researchers through mentorship, research funding and exposure to real-life industrial challenges.

Zeb-Obipi assured the partners of the university’s commitment to transparency and accountability in managing the endowment, pledging the necessary institutional support to ensure that the investment produces measurable results.
He identified research publications, patents, functional prototypes and graduates equipped with industry-relevant skills as key outcomes the university hopes to achieve.

The Vice-Chancellor further noted that RSU’s strategic location within Nigeria’s energy hub presented opportunities for expanded partnerships across the oil and gas, maritime, agricultural and technology sectors.

In his keynote address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Engr. Adeleye Falade, described the programme as an investment in Nigeria’s capacity to translate academic knowledge into practical solutions.

He emphasised the need for sustained collaboration among government, industry and academia, noting that the changing energy landscape required continuous research and technological advancement to address challenges relating to operational efficiency, emissions management, safety, infrastructure maintenance and sustainable industrial processes.

Falade said the initiative would create opportunities for specialised training, academic exchanges, industrial sabbaticals, practical research testing and the joint development of postgraduate curricula under the Triple Helix model of collaboration.

He disclosed that discussions were already underway with RSU on implementation arrangements and commended Professor Zeb-Obipi for his role in advancing the proposed partnership.

He also revealed that organisations such as Google, Cisco and MTN had indicated interest in supporting the initiative, raising prospects for additional technology partnerships and opportunities for the beneficiary universities.

Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Board’s Senior Technical Adviser, Engr. Austin Uzoka, described the $9 million endowment as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s research and innovation ecosystem.

He said the programme complemented the Board’s investments in research infrastructure and would help bridge the gap between academic research and industrial application.
Uzoka urged the beneficiary universities to prioritise research that delivers measurable outcomes and addresses practical industry needs.

Beyond the financial support for the professorial chairs, the programme will provide opportunities for infrastructure upgrades, knowledge-sharing initiatives and the involvement of industry professionals in postgraduate training at master’s and doctoral levels.

For RSU, these provisions could translate into improved research facilities, stronger postgraduate programmes, greater exposure for students and researchers, and increased opportunities for its graduates to acquire skills relevant to the demands of modern industries.

The university also stands to benefit from the commercialisation prospects of research discoveries, particularly in digital engineering, intelligent energy systems and automation, where industry partnerships can help transform academic ideas into functional technologies and commercially viable products.

The coordinating role assigned to RICCEE is particularly significant as it could enhance the university’s national and international research profile, attract further institutional partnerships and establish RSU as a major centre for industry-driven research and technological development.

Ahead of the formal launch, Professor Zeb-Obipi had addressed guests at a welcome cocktail reception on Monday, November 9, where he delivered an address titled “Reflections on Industry-Academia Collaboration”.

He advocated a shift from the mere signing of Memoranda of Understanding to concrete actions capable of advancing research, innovation and industrial development.

He identified the Advisory Board of RICCEE and the NLNG Bridge Programme as existing models for strengthening the relationship between the university and NLNG.

The new endowment is therefore expected to consolidate RSU’s existing relationship with the gas company while opening wider opportunities for collaboration with other industries and research institutions.

Its ultimate value to the university will be measured not only by the $1.5 million investment but also by the research facilities strengthened, innovations developed, postgraduate researchers trained, industrial partnerships established and technologies successfully transferred from the university to the marketplace.

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has accused governors of oil-producing states in the Niger Delta of mismanaging the 13.5 per cent derivation funds, alleging that their failure to channel the resources into the development of oil-bearing communities has perpetuated poverty and underdevelopment in the region.

The organisation has consequently called for an amendment to the law establishing the derivation funds to ensure that the benefits of oil production are directly channelled to communities from which the resources are extracted rather than being left at the discretion of state governors.

MOSOP President, Fegalo Nsuke, made the call while delivering his address at the 31st memorial of the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders by the military government of the late General Sani Abacha.

Nsuke lamented that decades after the sacrifices of Saro-Wiwa and other Niger Delta activists, the region remained trapped in poverty despite the enormous revenues accruing to oil-producing states.

He argued that the governors had failed to justify the huge resources allocated to their states through the derivation principle, insisting that the money had not translated into meaningful development in the communities bearing the environmental and social costs of oil exploration.

According to him, the original intention of the derivation fund was to address the peculiar developmental challenges of oil-producing areas, but the present administrative arrangement has made it susceptible to abuse and diversion from its intended purpose.

“The idea of derivation funds was to address the underdevelopment in the Niger Delta region.
However, the structure of administration of the funds makes it vulnerable to abuse and has left the funds at the discretion of state governors. This needs to be addressed,” he said.

The MOSOP president maintained that the struggles of Saro-Wiwa and other martyrs would amount to little if the people of the oil-producing communities continued to suffer deprivation while the revenues generated from their land were controlled and spent according to the priorities of state governments.

Citing the Ogba/Egbema communities of Rivers State, particularly Ndoni, Nsuke said the area contributes significantly to the state’s oil revenue but receives little corresponding investment in infrastructure and other basic amenities.

He regretted that communities responsible for generating substantial revenue were often neglected because governors retained control over the allocation of derivation funds without any effective mechanism compelling them to prioritise the needs of the producing areas.

Nsuke said the situation was a clear contradiction of the principle of derivation, which was introduced to ensure that communities and states bearing the consequences of resource extraction benefited meaningfully from the wealth generated.

He insisted that the law should be amended to guarantee direct and proportionate investment of derivation revenues in the areas where the resources originate.

The MOSOP leader also blamed the persistent poverty, poor infrastructure and lack of basic amenities in the Niger Delta on the failure of successive state governments to account adequately for the enormous revenues received over the years.

He noted that the cumulative 13.5 per cent derivation allocations to oil-producing states since the introduction of the policy should have been sufficient to make significant improvements in water supply, security, roads and other essential infrastructure across the region. “It is important for the people to be united and hold their governments to account. We think what comes to the oil-producing states is significant enough to deal with basic issues such as water provision, security and infrastructure, and it is sad that the revenues are being largely mismanaged by the governors because the people are not holding them to account,” he added.

Nsuke, however, commended the current management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for what he described as its visible interventions in the region, urging the commission to sustain and expand its development efforts.

He described the NDDC as one of the institutions that emerged from the struggles of Saro-Wiwa and other Niger Delta activists, expressing satisfaction that the commission was beginning to make a difference under its present leadership.

“It is important that the areas from where resources are extracted should get their due rewards and a proportionate injection of the derivation funds. The structure for the administration of the derivation funds needs to change if we must achieve that.

“We are pleased that the NDDC under its present management is making some impressive impacts. MOSOP will encourage them to do more,” he said.

He called for greater solidarity among Niger Delta communities, stressing that regional unity was necessary to compel governors to account for the resources allocated to their states and ensure that oil-producing communities were no longer denied the benefits of their natural wealth.

Nsuke maintained that the people of the Niger Delta must move beyond commemorating the sacrifices of their heroes to demanding concrete accountability from those entrusted with managing the region’s resources.