From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Benue State University (BSU) is seeking collaboration with the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) located in Eastern Cape, South Africa in the area of research and innovation.
The Vice Chancellor, Benue State University Makurdi(BSU), Prof. Joseph Tor Iorapuu disclosed this to newsmen in Makurdi, at the weekend.

He explained that the partnership is primarily aimed at accessing funding from the European Union for research and innovation purposes.
The VC intimated that some of his staff who just returned from Germany were told outrightly and in clar terms that for the University to access funding from the EU,it must partner with Universities from South Africa and Ghana.
“Our institution  is ready to partner with Walter Sisulu University in fulfillment of the EU request.
 “In fact, when I became VC in 2020, I asked myself why am I here, who am I here for and what am I here for!  And when I was visiting all the faculties, I asked  what we want to be known for as a university. We must be known for something in terms of research. If you are asking for anything, people will tell you to go to BSU and you will get that.
“Unfortunately, we have not gotten there but we are gradually getting there. Few weeks ago I got a call from Prof. Dominic Abaver whom we were together at the University of Jos many years ago but he disappeared, he told me that he is in South Africa and is partnering with Bowen University, Osun.
“He told me that he is excited that since I am the V,C,BSU, there are things we could do together and here he is today talking to us about research and innovation.
“This is what we want, we must move forward. We can not continue to be traditional in everything we do and the conversation we have had with him so far will culminate in signing a Memoranda Of Understanding, MOU with Walter Sisulu University. Because our team just came back from Germany and they told them clearly that if we must benefit from European Union funding, we must partner with Universities from South Africa and Ghana.
“And here is one of us coming from South Africa. So for us we can’t wait any longer. It is like a Hyena that is very hungry lying and waiting and a dog comes its way, it is going to pounce on it. And we are pouncing quickly on this opportunity and we do not want to look back.
“The MOU is going to be open in Health, science and management sciences, law, engineering and humanity but we will concentrate more on science because we have to grow more on technology and innovation. We are partnering with the University of Zagreb and another university in the UK and most of our staff are already in these universities engaging in different activities.”
On his part ,Prof.Dominic Abaver, a Senior Researcher at Walter Sisulu, Eastern Cape, South Africa said part of his job in the University is to scout, identify and bring together organizations to partner with the university for development.
He noted that the hardship experienced in third world countries, Nigeria inclusive, is so bad even when universities have good ideas they lack the funding.
Hear him, “One of the basic problems is funding. The European Union has a lot of funding for development in Africa. I have a research organization that has to do with research, innovation to develop Africa. In Africa there are two countries that the EU have put in so much money, South Africa and Ghana.
“BSU has made strides to see if they can access these funds. I remember that sometime last month, BSU Representatives were in Germany and they were told that for them to access these funds, they must go back to South Africa and Ghana. And good enough my university has those funds. So the first benefit we are looking at aside from research and innovation is funding. So if BSU is in partnership with Walter Sisulu University, they can access those funds. So when we sign the MOU, we will sit down and agree on areas to harvest.
“I want BSU to be a driver in the health sector, the reason is that, what we do in South Africa, I would want the BSU to be in champion of that. We take health to the communities. The concept is to take health to the community. It makes it easier for the people to access health needs.”