The rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Dr. Mukail Aremu Akinde, has called for greater collaborations between Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro and Covenant University.

He made this plea at the opening ceremony of a workshop organised by Covenant University, in collaboration with the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, tagged, ‘An Introduction to Genomic Data Science: Identifying Biomarkers Drug Targets from Pathogens and Host Networks,’ which held at the Polytechnic’s Raheem Oloyo International Conference Centre.

Dr. Akinde, who bagged his doctorate degree from Covenant University in 2019, lauded Covenant University for being a good ‘Big Brother’ neighbour to Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, and attributed some of the landmark achievements of the polytechnic to lessons gleaned from Covenant University, while praying for more of collaborations so as to propel the polytechnic to higher glory.

Speaking further, the Rector talked about the impact of the conference on the polytechnic and how it is helping to augment the ranking of the institution amongst the comity of polytechnics and as it remains ‘the one to beat’ amongst its peers in Nigeria.

Talking more about the Genomics Conference, he said it is a good thing that Covenant, through CApI-ACE, is bringing the programme to Ilaro, and pledged his support for more of such in the nearest future.

In his remarka, the Deputy Director of CApI-ACE, Professor Emeka Iweala, thanked the Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo, for creating a platform like Covenant University where many lives are being touched daily.

Citing the example of CApI-ACE, which is a World Bank sponsored research effort in Covenant University, that is assisting many students and researchers to achieve their scholarly ambition, and in the same vein, alleviating the common problems of the world.

Professor Iweala continued by showcasing research areas of CApI-ACE such as Malaria Parasite, Cancer, and the establishment of world class laboratories in the centre in order to find solution to these problems.

He thanked the Rector, Dr. Akinde, for providing his team of researchers with good facilities and promised that more of this kind of programme will surely continue in answer to the plea of the Rector.

Making a remark at the event, a member of the Covenant Team, Professor Jelili Oyelade, a faculty of the Department of Computer and Information Science, pointed out that the team of researchers from Covenant University, were there to continue what they do in Covenant and therefore, the students should just be attentive and not let the import of the intensive seminar be lost on them.

Another Team Member, Dr. Isewon Itunu, also a faculty in Covenant University’s Department of Computer and Information Science, thanked all that came, elated at the fact that she was now able to teach others, since not too many years ago, she was just a student like them.