University of Jos - Nigeria
3-D LABORATORY ESTABLISHED IN UNIJOS
A 3-Dimension (3D) Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab) has been established and commissioned in the University of Jos. The establishment of the French-UniJos Fabrication Laboratory was funded by the French Embassy in Nigeria and was commissioned by the France Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Jeᶺrôme Pasquier.
Commissioning the Project located at the Faculty of Engineering Building, Naraguta Campus of the University, Ambassador Pasquier said the Laboratory will assist Students from diverse fields of study to acquire different skills in 3-Dimension (3D) design. He expressed delight at the level which UniJos is positively affecting the lives of people in its benefitting communities, adding that the French Embassy is very much aware of the leadership style of Professor Seddi Sebastian Maimako under whose Administration the institution has witnessed great transformation.
The French Envoy stated that his Government is considering other ways of collaborating with the University especially in the area of Climate Change which is an urgent global crisis that requires concerted efforts to address.
Monsieur Pasquier challenged UniJos Students to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the Fab Lab in order to empower themselves with the skills to create smart devices that can be tailored to satisfy local or personal needs in ways that are not practical or economical using mass production.
Speaking at the occasion, the Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Simon Bako Lalong represented by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Hon. Audu Kakmena commended the French Embassy for its enormous contribution towards the development of tertiary education in Nigeria.
Governor Lalong believes the establishment of the Fabrication Laboratory will add a different dimension to the method of knowledge acquisition in the institution. He applauded the resilience of the UniJos Vice-Chancellor towards attracting international support to the institution while appealing to the French Embassy to extend its acts of magnanimity to other education institutions in the State.
Also speaking, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Seddi Sebastian Maimako expressed gratitude to the French Embassy for funding such an innovative project in the University, describing the gesture as transformational and relevant towards the betterment of humanity.
Professor Maimako explained that the University has engaged in a collaborative relationship with the Embassy which has resulted in many capacity development programmes provided to Staff and Students of the institution, one of which led to the mounting of the French Language Programme in the Department of Foreign Languages.
Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Professor Stephen Mallo whose Faculty houses the Laboratory, explained that it consists of about Eight (8) Work Stations with over One Hundred and Twenty-Eight (128) components including Waiting Station, Design Work Table, CNC Machine Work Table and Electronic Work Bench. Others are Mechanical Work Table, Art and Craft Work Table as well as the Interactive Section/Meeting Desk.
Similarly, Executive Director of the Advancement Office, Mr. Yakubu Gomos, noted that the Laboratory has the potential to address the problem of restlessness among students who yearn for technology-driven instruction and facilities to develop their skills.
A Fab Lab is typically equipped with an array of flexible computer-controlled tools that cover several different length scales and various materials, with the aim to create a variety of things. This includes technology-enabled products that are generally perceived as only limited to mass production.
Highpoint of the occasion was the decoration of the French Envoy with UniJos regalia as well as presentation of plaque and souvenirs to the French delegation by the Vice-Chancellor.