Bennett Oghifo
The Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) has officially handed over a newly renovated office complex and two operational vehicles to the Lagos State Traffic
Management Authority (LASTMA) Zone 25, covering the Bariga and Oworonshoki axis as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment to supporting public
institutions and improving service delivery,
The office was destroyed during the 2020 #EndSARS protests and had remained abandoned for several years. Recognising the importance of providing a conducive working environment for frontline traffic officers, LSDPC undertook the reconstruction and renovation of the facility and donated two operational vehicles to strengthen LASTMA’s capacity to respond to traffic incidents more effectively.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Managing Director/CEO LSDPC, Hon. Ayodeji Joseph, who was represented by the Executive Director, Business Development and Joint Venture, Mr. Derin Phillips, said the initiative reflects the Corporation’s commitment to giving back through meaningful CSR projects and fostering collaboration among government agencies.
According to him, partnerships such as this are essential to improving public service delivery and ensuring that government institutions are adequately equipped to serve Lagosians efficiently.
Receiving the renovated office and operational vehicles, the General Manager, LASTMA expressed appreciation to the management of LSDPC for the intervention. He noted that the project would significantly improve the working environment for officers in Zone 25, while the additional vehicles would enhance the agency’s operational efficiency and response time to traffic situations across the state. LSDPC remains committed to supporting public institutions through strategic interventions that contribute to safer communities, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and improved service delivery across Lagos State.
Engineering Students Urge Technology-driven Learning After China Exposure
Bennett Oghifo
For 37 engineering students from Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado-Ekiti, the true meaning of engineering shifted permanently from the abstract pages of classroom textbooks into the tangible reality of a high-tech industrial environment.
The undergraduates, accompanied by two of their lecturers, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Saturday following a rigorous 20-day advanced practical training stint at the Zhejiang Polytechnic University of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in Hangzhou, China.
The pioneering student exchange initiative focused on Intelligent Manufacturing and Control Technologies, deliberately structured to rescue Nigerian engineering education from the limitations of pure theory and expose the participants to global best practices.
Speaking on the journey, the Provost of ABUAD’s College of Engineering, Professor Moses Onibonoje, described the experience as a transformative milestone for both the students and the faculty.
He explained that the participants had already completed a rigorous three-month theoretical foundation in Nigeria, which allowed them to adapt almost instantly to the sophisticated Chinese laboratories.
Once there, the students were immersed in hands-on operations, working directly with programmable logic control systems, digital twin laboratories, robotic arm design technologies, advanced computer numerical control machines, three-dimensional printers, and complex metrology equipment.
Professor Onibonoje noted that beyond the raw technical skills acquired, the trip injected a deep sense of cultural discipline into the students and widened their professional horizons, thanking the university’s founder, Aare Afe Babalola SAN, for creating a partnership that has now opened doors for future academic exchanges and postgraduate scholarships.
While the students adaptability was highly praised by faculty members like Dr Imhade Princess Okokpujie, an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, the trip also served as a stark reminder of the infrastructure deficit back home.
Dr Okokpujie observed that while Nigeria has made commendable progress in engineering education, matching the technological heights seen in China will require aggressive, deliberate investments in local laboratory facilities and technology-driven learning spaces.
The returning undergraduates shared this sentiment, describing the trip as an eye-opening reality check that brought their academic paths to life. Adeniji Adam Opeyemi, a final-year Mechanical Engineering student, remarked that operating heavy industrial machinery that he had previously only encountered in diagrams was an exceptional shift.
He pointed out that the strength of the Chinese educational model lies in prioritising workshop practice over passive classroom lectures, urging Nigerian authorities to equip local universities so that domestic graduates can compete fairly in the global tech market.
For Judith Obioha, a final-year Mechatronics student, the highlight was the sheer abundance of modern equipment, which ensured that every student could work independently without crowding. Combined with lessons in Chinese language, culture, and infrastructure, the immersive programme successfully fulfilled ABUAD’s broader mission to equip its graduates with the specialized, real-world skills required to dominate emerging global industries in automation and robotics.
