The ONEIH-Kola Balogun Technology Center (OKBTC) has successfully hosted a train-the-trainer programme on Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Design and Fabrication.
The week-long training, which took place from August 12 to August 16, 2024, aimed to equip educators with cutting-edge knowledge and practical skills in PCB design and manufacturing.
Participants from various tertiary institutions across Nigeria attended the program, including Federal University of Technology Minna (FUTMINNA), Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Summit University Offa, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, The Federal Polytechnic Offa (FEDPOFFA), Lens Polytechnic Offa, and Technology Incubation Center Offa, among others.
The training was conducted by experts from Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited (MEMMCOL), led by Engr Bello Bashir Biodun, Head of the Industrial Design and Automation Service Department, and Engr Ojo Gideon, Team Lead in Electronics and PCB Design. They were supported by Ms Nafiu Kafayah Folasade, Laboratory Assistant, and Ms Yusuf Yetunde Aishat, an intern from the University of Ilorin’s Industrial Chemistry Department.
At the closing ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of One Innovation Hub (ONEIH), Engr Taofeeq Olatinwo, emphasized the program’s goal: “We want to train the trainers, particularly senior lecturers from different tertiary institutions, so they can take the knowledge back to their institutions and embed it in their curriculum.
“This training is designed to train the trainers, specifically senior lecturers from various tertiary institutions. At the end of the training, they will take the knowledge back to their respective institutions and embed it in their school curriculum. We want them to integrate it into their curriculum so that their students can start receiving training in PCB Technology.
“They will also bring their students to OKBTC for internships and bring their solutions and products for manufacturing and assembly, leading to commercialization. That’s the main goal.
Our partnership with tertiary institutions aims to ensure that the leadership of these institutions embeds this program in their curriculum. Once this is done, students will receive classroom training with minimal practical training in school and then come to OKBTC for intensive practical training. This will enable them to become entrepreneurs and start their companies. Additionally, we want them to develop their products here, even if they have product ideas in their institutions, through our DFMA (Development for Manufacturing and Assembly). This way, we can help them package their products for commercialization.
“We also aim to repair and maintain modern equipment such as solar fans, solar systems, water treatment plants, and other modern equipment. We are collaborating with artisans to upgrade and upskill them so they can benefit from what we are doing at the Center.
“This Center is like a factory, which is why we emphasize manufacturing for assembly. We will start manufacturing and have a lineup of training that will bring key people here. As they come, we can integrate them into our production process, and they can start learning and producing things. Once they start the production process, it will continue, and then we will commercialize it. So, it’s not just about technology and training; it’s about having production that we can commercialize and export. It’s a journey, and we will take it step by step.”
Professor Musa Biodun Aibinu, Vice Chancellor of Summit University Offa, expressed his institution’s commitment to collaborating with ONEIH in technological advancement, stating, “We will make Offa the home of Printed Circuit Boards.”
The programme’s success highlights OKBTC’s dedication to fostering technological advancement in the region and ensuring that educators are well-equipped to train the next generation of engineers and technologists.
OKBTC, commissioned on December 28, 2023, is West Africa’s pioneering facility exclusively dedicated to drone technology, including design, assembly, manufacturing, repair, and maintenance, and has expanded its focus to include PCB manufacturing and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA).