Kogi State University, Kabba (KOSU), is set to formalise a partnership with the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Abuja, to strengthen research, teaching and learning in Mathematics and related disciplines.
The planned collaboration follows a proposal presented to the Centre on August 3, 2026, by KOSU’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor K. I. T. Eniola.
The proposal covers joint research projects in Applied Mathematics, Data Science, Climate Modelling and Computational Mathematics. It also includes capacity building through workshops and training, student exchange and Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) placements, and community outreach such as Mathematics competitions and public lectures for secondary schools.
Presenting the proposal, Eniola described the NMC as an elder in Mathematics whose expertise and guidance would be invaluable to the university’s pursuit of academic excellence.
He expressed concern over declining interest in Mathematics among secondary school students and said the trend must be reversed. He urged leveraging the Centre’s expertise to improve the teaching and learning of Mathematics and other science subjects.
Eniola reaffirmed KOSU’s commitment to a productive partnership, saying it would create opportunities for research advancement, human capacity development and improved science education.
Responding, the NMC’s Director/Chief Executive, Professor Benjamin Oyelami, outlined the Centre’s contributions to Mathematics and the Mathematical Sciences in Nigeria and beyond.
Oyelami said the Centre operates under five core mandates: advanced research; training and high-level manpower development; talent identification and human capacity development; outreach; and the production of industrial materials.
He said the Centre pursues these mandates through initiatives that include organising national and international Olympiads and preparing Nigerian students for global contests. These include the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), International Biology Olympiad (IBO), International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) and International Informatics Olympiad (IIO).
Oyelami also pointed to the Centre’s efforts to modernise Mathematics education through emerging fields such as Data Science, Machine Learning, Coding, Rural Networking and Ethno-mathematics. The aim, he said, is to make the subject more accessible and show its relevance to culture and everyday life.
He assured KOSU of the Centre’s readiness to collaborate and disclosed that steps would be taken to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The partnership is expected to strengthen KOSU’s research capacity, enhance science education and expand opportunities for students and staff through specialised training, collaborative research and academic exchange.
