The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has donated four 3D printers to some tertiary institutions in Lagos State to improve learning.
President, LCCI, Mrs Toki Mabogunje, at the official presentation on Wednesday, said the 3D printers would improve the teaching capabilities of the teachers.
3D printing process is an additive manufacturing process where an object is made layer by layer from computer 3D model data.
Mabogunje said the numerous benefits offered by the 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.
This, she said, 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.
Mabogunje said the emergence of 3D printing technology had 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 economy.
“In the educational sector, 3D printing offers numerous benefits.
“These benefits include improving the students learning process as well as improving the teaching capabilities of the teacher. Hence the need to deploy 3D printing,’’ she said.
In his remarks, Otunba Akinbowale Akin-Olugbade, the Managing Director, Kawai Technologies Ltd., said 3D printing technology was critical to influencing and advancing manufacturing and producing, globally.
Akin-Olugbade said that 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 base learning approach.
“This would lead to enhance creativity, enhanced 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 use their imaginations and problem solving skills to create solution,’’ he said.
Responding, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Vice-Chancellor, 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,’’ Ogundipe said.
The benefitting tertiary institutions were University of Lagos, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos State Polytechnic and Lagos State University.
The donors of the 3D printers include Mikano International Ltd., Kawai Technology and Mikano Universal Power Systems Nigeria Ltd.