The Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) facilitated a visit of the Inter Academy Council (IAC) to FIIRO on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. The visit was in recognition of FIIRO as a key stakeholder in Nigeria that has been interacting closely with NAS. The Nigerian Academy of Science is a partner of the African Science Academies Development Initiative (ASADI) whose activities the IAC was commissioned to evaluate by the United States Academies (USNA). According to Prof. Turner Isoun, a former Honorable Minister of Science and Technology, who led the delegation to FIIRO, the Council aims at evaluating the Vision for partnership between NAS – FIIRO & United States Academies. Such evaluation is to open up opportunities for projects that will attract International Funding.
It will also bring about opportunities for Exchange Programs, Collaboration with international Research & Development Institutions and Joint Funding of R&D projects amongst others. Other members of the IAC delegation were Prof. Rogpin Mu, Director General, Institute of Policy and Management (IPM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tom Arrison, Executive Director, Inter Academy Council, The United States National Academies and Dorothy Ngila, Study Coordinator, Academy of Science of South Africa. On the NAS team were Scholastica Lan and Mobolaji Dasaolu. While receiving the delegation, Dr. Gloria Elemo, Director General, FIIRO acknowledged the recognition given to the institute by NAS and the IAC. She also pointed out the accreditation exercise conducted on the institute by the Nigerian Academy of Science in 2011 and the participation of FIIRO in a recent workshop on the NAS-NLNG Science Prize. A general understanding was reached at the end of discussions for a formalization of partnerships between key stakeholders and the academies in the not too distant future.