The Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research NIFOR, has sought for effective collaboration with Federal University Dutse FUD in Date Palm research.
Executive Director of the Institute, Dr Celestine Ekoenobe stated this during a courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Abdulkareem Sabo Mohammed in Dutse, the jigawa state capital.
He explained that sustained and effective collaboration remains key for continued and effective research in date palm.
According to him, the visit was for the NIFOR to go into partnership with the university in terms of research at the institute’s date palm research sub station in Dutse.
He said, the partnership is through combination of resources and manpower in both institutions.
Dr Celestine further explained that the collaboration would enable the institutions work fast and better in research.
He added that the visit was also to seek for the university’s cooperation for the NIFOR to access part of its land that contains two gene pools.
The executive director, who decried the level of dilapidation of the sub-satation, assured that it would gradually be renovated and equipped for conducive research work.
According to him, the sub-station’s laboratory will also be equipped in order to do work on lower level.
However, Ekonoebe pointed out that higher research work can be done either at the university or the institute’s laboratory in Benin city.
On staff welfare, Dr Celestine promised that through regular communication, the institute would do its best to mitigate any error in that regard.
Responding, the Vice Chancellor, assured the executive director of the university’s sustained and closer collaboration.
He said the two institutions can achieve a common goal in research work through collaboration.
The executive director was accompanied on the visit by Dr Lius Enabuere, the Head of Date Palm Research Department and Mr Hamza Abdulhamid, the Officer in Charge of Date Palm Sub-Station, Dutse and other senior officers.
Usman Mohammed Zaria
