Researchers from Rivers State University (RSU) have emerged among the top six finalists in the maiden Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Tech-Innovation Challenge (TIC) 2026 with an indigenous technology designed to test the durability of protective coatings used in marine, offshore and industrial facilities.
The innovation, known as Marine Thermal Simulator (MATSI), officially designated Automated Coated Coupon Testing Unit (ACCTU-001), is an automated platform developed to assess how protective coatings withstand harsh environmental and operating conditions, particularly in the oil and gas industry.
The achievement places the RSU research team among six finalists selected from more than 100 applications submitted for the competition, which seeks to identify promising technologies developed by Nigerian universities and start-ups for possible adoption by the country’s oil and gas industry.
MATSI was developed by Engr. Dr Vincent Onuegbu Izionworu of the Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering and Engr. Dr Charles C. Orji of the Department of Marine Engineering, both in the Faculty of Engineering, in collaboration with Engr. Dr Watimiyo Charles James of Dikaioo Engineering & Energy Limited.
The competition, a flagship initiative of NCDMB’s Planning, Research and Statistics Directorate, was implemented by Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre Limited (EICL), led by its Chief Executive Officer, Chika Chinwah.
RSU’s participation followed an internal memorandum dated January 12, 2026, on a call for entries published in The Guardian on December 17, 2025.
Of the more than 100 applications received, 30 innovations were shortlisted for the second stage. Following an online pitching exercise, 15 successful teams advanced to a five-day boot camp at NCDMB Towers in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The boot camp exposed participants to intensive mentorship and capacity-building sessions covering technology development, commercialisation, market readiness, business management, intellectual property protection and engagement with industry operators.
At the end of the programme, the teams participated in an in-person pitching exercise, from which six innovations, including MATSI, emerged as finalists.
The final assessment considered technical readiness, commercial traction, business viability, intellectual property protection, Nigerian content and sustainability.
Although MATSI did not win any of the three major prizes, its emergence among the six finalists represents a significant achievement for the university’s research and innovation community.
GeoPredict AI clinched the first prize with an artificial intelligence platform for interpreting well logs for Nigerian independent operators.
FrassPlus came second with a bio-augmented crude oil spill remediation solution, while Organic Battery, developed under the project name Metallocene, took third position with an energy-storage technology designed for oil and gas infrastructure.
Explaining the technology, the researchers said MATSI was designed to provide a controlled environment for testing protective coatings under simulated marine, offshore and industrial conditions.
The platform integrates independently controlled electrolyte tanks with programmable temperature, salinity and pH settings, as well as automated tidal and immersion cycles. This enables researchers to simulate different environmental conditions and assess the ability of protective coatings to withstand prolonged exposure to corrosive environments.
The system also features infrared radiant heating, simulated flare-stack airflow and continuous monitoring of coated test specimens, commonly known as coupons.
Its programmable logic controller (PLC), integrated with a human-machine interface (HMI), supports automated operation, data acquisition and real-time monitoring of environmental and coating performance parameters.
According to the researchers, the technology combines immersion and drying cycles, thermal and radiant heating, chemical exposure, salinity variations, pH control and simulated airflow to provide a repeatable testing environment.
The innovation is expected to have applications in marine and offshore operations, oil and gas facilities, petrochemical installations and other industrial environments where protective coatings play a critical role in preventing corrosion and preserving equipment.
Its testing and monitoring capabilities could provide useful data for coating manufacturers, research institutions and industrial operators in comparing coating systems and assessing their suitability before deployment in demanding operating environments.
The technology could also support improved material selection, corrosion management and maintenance planning, thereby helping operators minimise equipment deterioration and the risks associated with corrosion in industrial facilities.
Speaking at the competition, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at NCDMB, Silas Omomehin Ajimijaye, underscored the need to move indigenous innovations beyond academic research into practical industrial applications.
Similarly, the Director of Corporate Services and Chairman of the TIC 2026 Steering Committee, Abdulmalik Halilu, who represented the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, called on oil and gas operators to support locally developed technologies by providing opportunities for field trials, validation and commercial adoption.
The board has also established a three-month post-competition incubation programme for selected innovations to strengthen their technological capacity, improve commercial readiness and prepare them for possible industry deployment.
The emergence of MATSI among the six finalists highlights the research capacity of RSU’s Faculty of Engineering and the potential of Nigerian universities to develop indigenous solutions to challenges confronting the country’s industrial sector.
It also underscores the importance of interdisciplinary research and collaboration between academic institutions and private-sector engineering firms in translating research ideas into practical technologies.
For RSU, the achievement provides an opportunity to deepen its engagement with industry operators and explore further development and commercialisation of the technology, particularly in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, where corrosion control remains a major operational concern.
