
Host University: University of Port Harcourt
Vice Chancellor:
Centre Leader: Prof. O.F. Joel
Deputy Centre Leader: Prof. O. Akaranta
Centre’s Website: https://aceceforuniport.edu.ng
University’s Website:
Contact: ogbonna.joel@ipsng.org
The Africa Center of Excellence in Oilfield Chemicals Research (ACE-CEFOR) is one of 22 World Bank-funded Centers of Excellence established in 2013, to promote home grown and regional research networks that will help to develop the human capital in Africa.
ACE-CEFOR aims to develop the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry (in particular) and those of other African countries (in general) where oil and gas have been discovered.
The apparent lack of research Centres in the Gulf of Guinea, and indeed Africa, capable of producing competent researchers in Petroleum and related disciplines is also another motivating factor.
Specifically, we possess good learning infrastructure, focus on research programmes relevant to West and Central Africa as well as regional training, high capacity to mobilize financial resources from the private sector, and a more autonomous operational identity required for efficient project implementation.
ACE-CEFOR operates on the basis of triple helix model of government-academia-industry partnership and thus creates a research network of higher institutions for knowledge and technology transfer.
The postgraduate courses and research are designed, organised and taught on modular basis with teaching responsibility shared amongst experienced and active resource persons from the collaborating universities and Industry partners. The industry partners are involved in our curricula review and providing places for, at least, one month internship placement for our postgraduate students and faculties.
Therefore, our strong university-industry relationships with the resultant cross-fertilization of ideas have continued to be a veritable source of solutions to development challenges especially as they relate to the oil and gas sector.