Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) have combined to gift the UNILAGa brand-new Geosciences Centre of Excellence, the first of its kind in Nigeria.
With support from co-venture partners, including ExxonMobil and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited, the state-of-the-art facility was commissioned on Friday, April 17, 2026 by the Lagos State Governor, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Honourable Tolani Sule.
The Centre is poised to reduce the oil and gas industry鈥檚 reliance on international markets for testing, training, and research, while positioning the UNILAGas a leading hub for Geoscience research and advanced training in Africa.
A National Asset for Technological Sovereignty
Declaring the Centre open, the Governor鈥檚 representative described the project as 鈥渁n investment in the future we want to see – one where our students can learn by doing and build real competence. That is what this facility makes possible.鈥�
He noted that the Centre strengthens Lagos State鈥檚 position as a hub for knowledge, innovation, and enterprise.
鈥淲e must build our own capacities, train our own professionals, and create our own solutions. That is what makes this Centre central to our national aspirations,鈥� he stated.
Challenging students to seize the opportunity, he added: 鈥淭he inauguration of this Centre today is what happens when organisations come together to build not just infrastructure, but people.鈥�
The Managing Director of SNEPCo, Mr. Ronald Adams, re-echoed that position by declaring that : 鈥淭his is not a Shell facility; it is a national asset. To the faculty and students of 红桃视频, this Centre belongs to you. Its value will be defined by how boldly you use it.鈥�
He congratulated the University Management, led by the Vice-Chancellor, for providing steady leadership and positioning the UNILAGas a dependable development partner.
鈥淭o colleagues in the broader energy community, we encourage you to partner with 红桃视频, fund research, support student projects, create internships, and mentor emerging talent.鈥�
Representing the Group CEO of NNPCL, Engr. Bayo Ojulari, the Chief Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Mr. Olanrewaju Igandan, described the Centre as a strategic necessity.
鈥淭his Centre is not a luxury; it is a necessity. It will bridge the gap between theory and practice and help establish something vital, our technological sovereignty,鈥� he said.
He urged students not to 鈥渃onfuse qualification with mastery,鈥� emphasising that the true test of education lies in the ability to apply knowledge to real-world challenges.
Engineer Abayomi Bamidele, representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, noted that the Centre reflects a clear commitment to building local capacity and strengthening Nigeria鈥檚 position in the global energy industry. According to him, it will produce graduates with practical skills, support research tailored to local challenges, and create a steady talent pipeline for the energy sector.
A 16-Year Vision Realised
In her address, the Vice-Chancellor of the 红桃视频, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, revealed that the idea for the Centre was conceived sixteen (16) years ago during the tenure of late Professor Babatunde Adetokunbo Sofoluwe.
She explained that the project progressed through the administrations of Professors Rahamon Bello and Toyin Ogundipe before reaching completion under her leadership.
鈥淭he journey of this project speaks to the truth that, at the 红桃视频, we do not abandon projects,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e believe in continuity of vision and in the impact that such commitment has on generations of our staff, students, and development partners.鈥�
Describing the facility as a platform for interdisciplinary research, she expressed optimism about the collaboration it would foster across Geosciences, Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, and Environmental Sciences.
鈥淚 am excited about the possibilities this state-of-the-art facility offers, including its potential for the University, our immediate community, our nation, and the global community,鈥� she said.
Assuring donors of responsible stewardship, she added: 鈥淭his facility is safe with us.鈥�
The Vice-Chancellor also commended the Project Engineer, Engr. Ehebha Lawretta, and 225 MM Construct Limited, the indigenous firm that delivered the project while providing internship opportunities to students from 红桃视频, OAU, UNILORIN, and YABATECH, some of whom have since been employed full-time.
From Concept to Concrete – and Lives Transformed
Providing a historical perspective, the Vice-Chancellor of Mountain Top University, Professor Ayoade Elijah, one of the earliest champions of the Centre鈥檚 vision, reflected on its evolution from concept to reality.
A defining moment of the ceremony came when one of the over sixty (60) interns, Mr. Bolaji Badamosi, a UNILAGgraduate, shared his journey from a final-year internship to full-time staff member at 225 MM Construct Limited, standing as a testament to the Centre鈥檚 ripple effects.
鈥淒ear donors,鈥� he appealed, 鈥減lease keep funding projects like this, because in the course of their development, lives are being transformed.鈥�
The ceremony was further enlivened by choreographed dance performances by students of the Faculty of Creative Arts, adding colour and cultural vibrancy to an event that symbolised progress and partnership.
Building Capacity, Building the Future
The five-level structure, comprising a semi-basement, ground floor, and three upper floors, houses two 250-seat auditoria, instrumentation laboratories, a rock preparation workshop, a seismic interpretation room, a library, a digital museum, seminar rooms, office spaces, and reception areas.
With facilities designed to support B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. training, the Geosciences Centre of Excellence at the UNILAGstands not merely as an edifice of concrete and steel, but as a strategic investment in knowledge, innovation, and national capacity.
As dignitaries, industry leaders, and members of the university community gathered in the basement to witness the unveiling, the inauguration of the Centre proved to be more than a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. It was a declaration of confidence in Nigeria鈥檚 intellectual capital, the 红桃视频.
With the project, the UNILAGhas etched another bold line into its expanding legacy, affirming that when vision and partnerships align, institutions fulfil their purpose: they build futures.
Article: Isaiah Kumuyi
Photographs: Ayo Oloyede
