ExxonMobil donates Geoscience workroom to UNILORIN

By Demola Akinyemi

ILORIN — Graduates of Geoscience of the University of Ilorin are expected to be ranked among the best in the world as  Exxon Mobil, weekend, donated N130 million  Mini-Geoscience workroom to the Geosciences Department to make them achieve that feat.

The workroom was sponsored by Esso Exploration and Producing Nigeria Limited, EEPNL, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil in Production Sharing Contract with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

Manager Deepwater, Production Geoscience, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Mr. Andrew Ejayeriese, in his address during the commissioning of the project by the Minister for Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, weekend, said the construction of the University of Ilorin Geoscience workroom was completed and furnished last year.

Andrew also said  the investment on the workroom included the cost of construction, furnishing, hardware, software, training, transportation and other associated personnel costs.

He said the equipment installed at the workshop were not different from what is currently used in the oil industry, stressing that they are expected to see an improvement from now on in the quality of Geoscience graduates from the university.

He noted that considering the huge  amount of money spent on the project, it was critical that the workroom must be properly maintained, hence he advised the management to employ a Geo-technician whose duties will be to master the usage of the machines, and provide long term support to students.

In his address at the ceremony, Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Isiaq Oloyede, said if all companies fulfilled their corporate social responsibilities by impacting positively and intervening appropriately in critical sectors of the nation, most of the problems confronting Nigeria would be solved.

Oloyede said education had not been receiving adequate attention it deserved from the government over the past years, adding that while this is so, it was important to appreciate the fact that education was too important to be left in the hands of the government alone.

“Every one of us, as individuals and corporate bodies, has a role to play. Please play your part and don’t be a bystander,” he said.

Andrew  equally urged the university authorities  to update their course curriculum to appropriately reflect the teaching and learning that the workroom had brought to bear, adding that the  students must also  be allowed access to the equipment  after being  properly trained to use them.