Leading scholars from around the world have projected more growth for science and engineering education in Africa. Speaking during the Empowering The Teachers celebratory symposium and award held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, in January 2024, renowned academics, including vice chancellors of top Nigerian universities, posited that by sending African academics to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States, to gain innovative student-focused teaching methods, TotalEnergies had planted a seed that will continue to produce top-notch graduates from local universities, especially in science and engineering.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, while delivering a keynote address during the event, added that the investment made by TotalEnergies will continue to yield tremendous harvests in the years ahead.
Other participants at the event, including Prof Akintunde Ibitayo Akinwande of MIT, commended TotalEnergies for improving the standard of teaching, learning and research through its sponsorship of the ETT and other impactful educational initiatives over the years. Seven university lecturers received awards for ‘Outstanding Performance in Teaching,’, ‘Exceptional Achievement in Research,’ and ‘Innovation Contributions in Curriculum Development,’ during the well-attended symposium in Lagos. Established in 2010 by TotalEnergies, the ETT fellowship has continued to provide a platform for knowledge exchange between African scholars and their United States counterparts, leveraging the robust relationship between TotalEnergies SA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Solely sponsored by TotalEnergies, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and partners, the fellowship covers travel, living, and instructional materials expenses, while the home universities of the fellows commit to providing them with paid leave of absence during the period of the fellowship. So far, 110 lecturers with doctorate qualifications in science and engineering from 41 Nigerian universities, and four from Uganda, have taken part in this program.
