…Sets For Test-Flight As Varsity Graduates 6,620
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Two students of the Kwara State University, KWASU, Malete, have designed and constructed a light aircraft, which is billed for a test flight soon, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Mustapha Akanbi has said.
The one-seater turbo propeller engine aircraft is set to attain an altitude of 13,000 feet at 220 kilometre/ speed which Professor Akanbi said was the first of its kind in the university to be constructed by the two students – Abdukzahir Usman and Israel Adeniyan.
The VC said that the brilliant students worked under the supervision of Professor Abdulfaniyu Alabi of the university.
Similarly, the Vice Chancellor said taking into considerstion, the post-impact fire as a major cause of death in an air crash, a professor of the university’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Engineer Abdulbaki Jinadu and his two student supervisees; Ayodeji Akangbe Tunde and Haleem Olamide Olatinwo, had invented ways to contaminate aviation fuel to prevent crashed airplane from catching fire and kill its passengers.
Also, the same Engineer Jinadu and another set of student supervisees; Samuel Kayode Olagunju, Abdulhafeez Opeyeni Salisu and Oluwaseun Aderugbemi Adeniyi had remodelled the mid-section of Boeing 737 fuselage that houses the main fuel tank in a way that reduces explosions in the event airplanr crash.
Professor Akanbi, the Vice Chancellor made the feat in the areas of research known, during the 8th and 9th Convocation press briefing of the university at its Malete main campus, pointing out that the institution is setting the pace in aircraft engineering in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, a total number of 6,620 students, made up of 3,864 for this 2020/2021 and 2,756 for the 2019/2020 academic sessions respectively, would be graduating at the convocation ceremonies which would climax this Friday and Saturday.
Of the number, 321 higher degree students would graduate for 2019/2020 session and 96 for the 2020/2021 sessions respectively.
Among the first degree batch, 98 made First Class. They shall all be physically present at the convocation ceremony, while others would be through virtual arrangement in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols, the Vice Chancellor announced.
Meanwhile, to focus on its goal of promoting technical, vocational and entrepreneurship spirit through instruction and supports, KWASU, being “the first of its kind,” according to Professor Akanbi, had in its 10 years of existence trained 21,000 in enterprise creation.
The Vice Chancellor said that out of these, 18,000 had registered their businesses with the Corporare Affairs Commission, CAC, pointing out that already, 60 per cent of these are now employers of labour.
Also, the KWASU Centre For Technical, Vocational and Enterpreneurship Studies, through its brands, like KWASU bread, KWASU Poultry Products, KWASU Water (satchets and bottled); KWASU cosmetics (body lotion, hair cream, face powder), KWASU bricks, Fashion house, KWASU beauty salon (unisex), KWASU leather works and KWASU furniture, has been helping to generate internal revenues for the state, Professor Akanbi concluded.
