BSU to partner South Africa varsity on research dev’t

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Benue State University (BSU) and the Walter Sisulu University (WSU), Eastern Cape South Africa are to collaborate in the area of research and innovation.
BSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Tor Iorapuu, who disclosed this to newsmen on Friday in Makurdi, said the partnership is primarily aimed at accessing funding from the European Union (EU).
The VC, said some of the BSU staff who just returned from Germany were told outrightly and in clear terms that for the university to access funding from EU, it must partner with universities from South Africa and Ghana.
This, Prof. Iorapuu declared that the institution is ready to partner with Walter Sisulu University in fulfillment of the EU request.
He said: “When I became VC in 2020, I asked myself why am I here?, who are am I here for and what am I here for?
“And when I was visiting all the facilities, I asked what do we want to be known for as a university. We must be known for something in terms of research if you are asking for anything, people will tell you to go to BSU, you will get that.
“Unfortunately, we have not gotten there, but we are gradually getting there. Few weeks ago I got a call from Prof. Dominic Abaver, whom we were together at the University of Jos many years ago but he disappeared.
“He told me that he is in South Africa and is partnering with Bowen University, Osun. He told me that he is excited that since am the V,C,BSU, there are things we could do together and here he is today talking to us about research and innovation.
“This is what we want, we must move forward. We can not continue to be traditional in everything we do and the conversation we have had with him so far will cumulate to signing a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Walter Sisulu University.
“Because our team just came back from Germany and they told them clearly that if we must benefit from European Union funding, we must partner with Universities from South Africa and Ghana.
“And here is one of us coming from South Africa. So for us we can’t wait any longer. It is like a Hynena that is very hungry lying and waiting and a dog comes it’s way, it is going to pounce on it. And we are pouncing quickly on this opportunity and we do not want to look back.
“The MOU is going to be open in Health, science and management sciences, law, engineering and humanity but we will concentrate more on science because we have to grow more on technology and innovation.
“We are partnering with the University of Zagreb and another university in UK and most of our staff are already in these universities engaging in different activities.”
On his part, Prof.Dominic Abaver, a Senior Researcher at Walter Sisulu, Eastern Cape, South Africa, said part of his job in the university is to scout, identify and bring together organizations to partner with the university for development.
He noted that the hardship experienced in third world country, Nigeria inclusive is so bad even when universities have good ideas they lack the funding.
According to him: “One of the basic problem is funding. The European Union has alot of funding for development in Africa. I have a research organization that has to do with research, innovation to develop Africa. In Africa there are two countries that the EU have put in so much money, South Africa and Ghana.
“BSU has made strides to see if they can access these funds. I remember that sometime last month, BSU Representatives were in Germany and they were told that for them to access these funds, they must go back to South Africa and Ghana.
“And good enough my university has those funds. So the first benefits we are looking at aside research and innovation is funding.
“So, if BSU is in partnership with Walter Sisulu University, they can access those funds. So, when we sign the MOU, we will sit down and agree on areas to harvest.
“I want BSU to be a driver in the health sector, the reason is that, what we do in South Africa, I would want the BSU to be in champion of that. We take health to the communities.
“The concept is to take health to the community. It makes it easier for the people to access health needs.”