The National University Commission (NUC) noted that in terms of quality and quantity, the research output of tertiary institutions in Nigeria was about the best in sub-Saharan Africa up to the late 1980s. The decline of research activities in Nigeria is a consequence of obsolete research facilities, especially in the Universities. Laboratories are not well equipped to train students and conduct research. Thus, inadequate infrastructure and out-of-date equipment were a major challenge to conducting research that is tailored to address our national needs and those that can support competitive global research. Early career researchers and students scout for laboratories abroad where they are accepted to carry out research along with international supervisors for short to long duration, and jointly publish papers. Though well-intended, it does not give the Nigerian Universities the much-desired visibility, rating, and capacity development opportunities.
As part of the innovative steps of the University of Lagos to elevate research to capacity and capability development and implementation, the need to establish and strengthen a core Central Research Laboratory was imperative. The overall goal is to use good science to drive multidisciplinary research and development efforts toward product development/improvement, innovative services, and the elucidation of critical scientific queries. The physical infrastructure needed to power this process was made possible through the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories donated by Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Onike, Lagos to his Alma Mata.
The facility is a massive three-wing complex with three floors covering 1000sq meters located adjacent to the Faculty of Engineering complex on the main campus of the University at Akoka and commissioned in June 2014. Known initially as the D.K. Olukoya Central Research Laboratory, it was re-named, the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories by the Senate of the University of Lagos in 2019 to properly The National University Commission (NUC) noted that in terms of quality and quantity, the research output of tertiary institutions in Nigeria was about the best in sub-Saharan Africa up to the late 1980s. The decline of research activities in Nigeria is a consequence of obsolete research facilities, especially in the Universities. Laboratories are not well equipped to train students and conduct research. Thus, inadequate infrastructure and out-of-date equipment were a major challenge to conducting research that is tailored to address our national needs and those that can support competitive global research. Early career researchers and students scout for laboratories abroad where they are accepted to carry out research along with international supervisors for short to long duration, and jointly publish papers. Though well-intended, it does not give the Nigerian Universities the much-desired visibility, rating, and capacity development opportunities.
As part of the innovative steps of the University of Lagos to elevate research to capacity and capability development and implementation, the need to establish and strengthen a core Central Research Laboratory was imperative. The overall goal is to use good science to drive multidisciplinary research and development efforts toward product development/improvement, innovative services, and the elucidation of critical scientific queries.
The physical infrastructure needed to power this process was made possible through the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories donated by Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Onike, Lagos to his Alma Mata. The facility is a massive three-wing complex with three floors covering 1000sq meters located adjacent to the Faculty of Engineering complex on the main campus of the University at Akoka and commissioned in June 2014.
Known initially as the D.K. Olukoya Central Research Laboratory, it was re-named, the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories by the Senate of the University of Lagos in 2019 to properly reflect the strategic role the facility was primed to play as “the host for several National and Internationally relevant research, development, innovation and service platforms”.
A platform for cutting-edge multidisciplinary research and capacity development The laboratory’s primary mission is to augment research in chemical, biological, and engineering disciplines at the University of Lagos by providing state-of-the-art research services to University’s faculty members and facilitating interdisciplinary research, promoting educational training opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, create corporate partnerships in research as well as pursue excellence in the science and technology research landscape with appropriate industry collaborations.
State-of-the-art Equipment for Research, Development, Training, and Service. The major equipment available includes Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS), High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) with UV, Diode array, and Fluorescence detectors, Gas Chromatograph- Flame Ionisation Detector (GC-FID), Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), UV/Vis Spectrophotometers. The type of services rendered varies from laboratory analysis of different types of samples, water, soil, materials, plants, foods, pharmaceuticals, professional advice through Consultancy, and customized training programs in several areas of competencies to clients.
Some of the Platforms in the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories include:
1. Analytical Laboratory
2. Maritime Laboratory
3. Vita Foam Polyurethane Laboratory donated by Vita Foam and was commissioned by the Hon Minister of
Science & Technology, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu.
4. Fab Laboratory for Innovation donated by the French Embassy.
5. U.K Royal Academy of Engineering funded Thermal Energy Simulation Laboratory.
6. Cell Biology Molecular Laboratory.
7. Molecular Genetics Forensic Laboratory.
8. Microbiology Laboratory.
9. Botany Laboratory
Other nearly completed laboratories include the Genomics Laboratory of the Centre for Genomics of Non- Communicable Diseases, Air-pollution Monitoring laboratory, Biotechnology laboratory, Nanotechnology
Laboratory among others.
The core Central Research Laboratory of the facility is a UK-Royal Society of Chemistry accredited lab for training on GasChromatography – Mass Spectrophotometry; Federal Ministry of Environmentaccredited
Environmental Assessment Laboratory and the facility is currently 1S0-17025 compliant with current plans for certification at this level D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories infrastructure in the University of Lagos has indeed filled a huge gap in the Higher Education Learning Landscape in the country.
