The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has called on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to support the establishment of a world-class Gemology Laboratory and Jewelry Making Centre at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, as part of efforts to deepen academia-industry collaboration and unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s rich gemstone and solid mineral resources.

 

The 1st Deputy President of ACCI, Professor Adesoji Adesugba, made the appeal during a working visit by the TETFund National Research Fair and Exhibition Committee to the Chamber. The delegation was led by the Chairman of the Committee, Engineer Umar Bindir.

 

Adesugba commended TETFund, under the leadership of its Executive Secretary, Architect Sonny Echono, for deliberately incorporating the organised private sector into its programmes. He said the approach demonstrated an understanding that the true value of research is realised when academic knowledge moves beyond the classroom and laboratory to generate products, enterprises and jobs.

 

According to him, ACCI is interested in working with TETFund through the organised private sector, led by the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), to promote research that addresses real economic and industrial needs.

 

He said ACCI, which serves as a voice for businesses in the Federal Capital Territory and its environs, operates through four centres: the Trade and Investment Centre, Advocacy and Policy Centre, Business Enterprise and Skills Training Centre, popularly known as the ACCI BEST Centre, and the Centre for International Trade and Diplomacy.

 

Highlighting one of the Chamber’s major academia-industry initiatives, Adesugba said ACCI had developed an active partnership with Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, aimed at connecting academic training with practical industry experience.

 

He disclosed that the Chamber and the university jointly developed a Gemology and Jewelry Making Curriculum, described in his address as the first of its kind. On the strength of the partnership, the university established the Department of Geology and Gemology, with lecturers pooled from ACCI, and the programme currently has 150 students.

 

Adesugba said the initiative was particularly important given Nigeria’s rich endowment of gemstones and solid minerals, stressing the potential to create jobs and generate wealth by developing the skills and infrastructure needed to process and add value to the resources locally.

 

Beyond gemology, he said the ACCI-university partnership also covers Entrepreneurship Development Training through a Guest Lecturer series designed to bring practical business experience directly to students. The Chamber is also a consortium partner on the Farm to Table Agricultural Innovation Programme and a Digital Innovation Centre initiative, while working with the university on undergraduate research by reviewing research topics to ensure they respond to real industry needs.

 

He said the partnership between ACCI and the university dates back to the tenure of Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah in 2022 and aligns with TETFund’s focus on strengthening the relationship between research and industry.

 

“What TETFund is championing at the national level, the University and the Chamber are already practising on the ground,” Adesugba said.

 

Against this background, he urged the TETFund committee to support the development of a world-class Gemology Laboratory and Jewelry Making Centre at the university.

 

He explained that the proposed facility would anchor the Gemology Curriculum, provide hands-on training, support certification and testing, and strengthen the capacity of the institution to produce professionals who can contribute to Nigeria’s mineral and jewellery value chain.

 

Adesugba also stressed the need for Nigeria to move away from exporting gemstones in their raw form, arguing that developing local processing and value addition would enable the country to derive greater benefits from its natural resources.

 

“The University, working with the Chamber, will be approaching TETFund formally in this regard,” he said, appealing to the committee to use its good offices to support TETFund funding for the project.

 

He said funding the facility would be consistent with the mandate of strengthening tertiary education and research while advancing the type of academia-industry collaboration capable of translating knowledge into practical economic outcomes.

 

The ACCI official described the visit as a meeting of partners with a shared vision of strengthening the connection between education, research and enterprise. He said the Chamber looked forward to the committee’s inspection of its facilities, including the ACCI BEST Centre, as well as its engagement with the National President of NACCIMA.