The president, LCCI, Toki Mabogunje, stated this at the official presentation of four 3D printers to some tertiary institutions in Lagos.
According to the president, the move is part of its drive to improve the students’ learning process and advance the Nigerian educational sector.
The LCCI boss stated that the numerous benefits offered by 3D printing to the educational sector necessitated the presentation to the respective institutions.
She urged the leadership of the benefitting institutions to ensure that the 3D printers were made available to the students for in-depth practice and understanding of its functions.
She noted that it would bring out the best in the students, simplify learning processes and make them innovative.
She noted that over the years 3D printing technology had been used for mass customisation, production of open-source designs in the field of agriculture, health, education, automotive industry locomotive industry, and aviation.
“The growth of 3D printing in Nigeria is expected to impact, not only on manufacturing but also on the education sector.
“This technology brings to light a set of skills lacking in the Nigerian industrial setting, and the opportunity for new teaching practices in science and engineering programmes within our tertiary institutions.
“The emergence of 3D printing technology has the potential to transform businesses, geographical challenges, and entire supply chains.
“Awareness has been created on the value of 3D technology at this critical stage of the Nigerian economy and the roles it can play in all sectors of the Nigerian economy.
“In the educational sector, 3D printing offers numerous benefits. These benefits include improving students’ learning process as well as improving the teaching capabilities of the teacher. Hence, the need to deploy 3D printing,” she said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director, Kawai Technologies Limited, Otunba Akinbowale Akin-Olugbade, noted that 3D printing technology was critical to influencing and advancing manufacturing and producing, globally.
He said the nation’s current abstract learning culture may lead to a situation of intellectual or practical boredom and a subsequent lack of student’s engagements.
“Research shows that a boring learning environment has a more powerful thinning effect on the brain cortex than what an exciting or engaging environment does.
“One way to increase learning engagement is by introducing 3D printers into a classroom with which students can follow a project-based learning approach.
“This would lead to enhanced creativity, problem-solving skills, new learning opportunities, and greater students’ engagements.
“With 3D, you can think about almost anything, design it, print it and test it and this would allow students to use their imaginations and problem-solving skills to create solutions,” he said.
Responding, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Vice-Chancellor, the University of Lagos, represented by Prof. Grace Otinwo, Director, Quality Assurance and SERVICOM, Unilag, pledged to use the printers to advance the university’s learning process.
“We are very delighted to be beneficiaries of this kind gesture by the LCCI and we pledge to ensure that the students have access to it to aid their learning,” she said.
The beneficiaries are the University of Lagos, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos State Polytechnic, and Lagos State University while the donors of the 3D printers include Mikano International LTD, Kawai Technology and Mikano Universal Power Systems Nigeria Limited.
