The Oyo State Government has approved the establishment of a Centre of Excellence that would provide training and certificates, in energy and solid minerals, Mr Taiwo Adisa, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Seyi Makinde, said in a statement on Friday, in Ibadan.
He said that the State Executive Council approved the establishment of the centre at its meeting on Feb.2, and that it would be situated at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.
According to him, the centre was the outcome of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and Soprano plc – a Finnish company.
“The MoU covers the establishment of a training institute that will develop the capacity of the teeming population in Oyo State in the Energy and Solid Minerals sector.
“The centre will provide training, with diploma, certificates and vocational qualifications, in energy generation and capacity building in solid minerals development.
“It will also benefit from possible funding from the Public Sector Investment Facility (PIF) of the government of Finland and other sources of funding,’’ he said.
Adisa further said that the decision to site the centre in LAUTECH was cost-effective, as the take-off cost would be reduced, just as related courses of study in LAUTECH, such as Pure and Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, would be of advantage to the centre.
“Other reasons that placed LAUTECH above other locations, include the fact that the ownership problem of the university has been resolved and it is now solely-owned by Oyo State,’’ he said.
Adisa added that the state government further listed incubating energy innovation by utilising local and natural resources; training on how to use energy efficiently; producing middle-level manpower in the area of Energy Innovation and Utilisation would be focal areas at the centre. (NAN)
