The CIDA-TUNS-UNN Linkage project is based in the Agricultural Engineering Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. It is sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and is specifically between Agricultural Engineering Department at the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS), Halifax, Canada and Agricultural Engineering Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
 In this Linkage project, the University of Nigeria is expected to contribute to the Project in terms of provision of infrastructural facilities such as laboratories and general support for the day-to-day operations of the Project; provide salaries of Nigerians (academic and technical staff) involved in the project; cater for all Canadians visiting the University under the linkage Project; and pay for costs associated with local activities of the project in Nigeria.
The Technical University of Nova Scotia is responsible for salaries of Canadian (academic and technical staff); provision of office and laboratory space, as well as research equipment for all Canadians and Nigerians engaged in research in Canada under the Linkage while in Canada.
The main objective of this Linkage Project is Human Resource Development and Transfer of Agricultural Engineering technology.

To achieve this objective, the following specific aims and objectives are identified:

• A staff training programme providing for tranining at the postgraduate level (PH.D);

• A staff short-term development providing for up to 5 Nigerians academic staff for a period of up to 3 months each; and

• Provision for obtaining equipment required for effective teaching and research.

The Project is executed with provision for financial contributions from three main sources, namely:

• Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) - (Can.$1,263.507);

• Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) - (Can $576,000 - in cash and kind);

• University of Nigeria (UNN) - (Can. $543,675 - in cash and kind).

The CIDA-TUNS-UNN Linkage Project officially started in August 1987 and was initially for five years; however, due to the fact that the set of our academic staff who are under-going postgraduate training at TUNS under the Linkage will have their programme extended beyond this period, approval was sought and obtained from CID for this project, to end in 1993 (1987-1993). It should be stated here that already a new proposal in the area of rural development is being developed by our Department and TUNS for consideration by CIDA. The extended Linkage Project is expected to commence in September 1993.
Three staff of the Department of Agricultural Engineering have already undergone the postgraduate training at TUNS and obtained their Ph.D. degree and two other staff are currently on their Ph.D. programme at TUNS. In addition to this, four other staff members of the Department have undertaken the three-month (short term) staff development visit to TUNS.
An important activity which has greatly sustained and cemented the Linkage is the period visit of functionaries of UNN and TUNS to the respective institutions.
The Linkage Project has provided vital, specialized, scientific, technical and communications equipment to our Department here at UNN. These are usually purchased and shipped from Canada to UNN; prominent among these are 4 personal computers, some printers and some computer software. A good deal of research equipment for Soil and Water Engineering; Agricultural Process Engineering, Post-harvest Technology as well as Photographic equipment and side/over head projectors have been supplied. Some teaching and research equipment for the Waste Management and Food Engineering Laboratories have been recently received.
The Department is expecting shipment of the Soil Bib equipment and its associated instrumentation. The Soil Bin is a state-of-the -art research facility for soil dynamic studies. The building for this facility is a contribution by UNN. When fully installed, this research facility will be the first in Nigeria, and, as far as we are aware, in Black Africa.