‘Innovations, research should top varsities academic priorities’
John Adeoti of Economic Policy Research Department, Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, has advised tertiary institutions in the country, especially universities to pay more attention to innovations and research to meet the daily needs and expectations of the society.
Adeoti, a Professor who challenged universities to think beyond academic also urged federal and state governments and other stakeholders to pay more attention to the funding of universities so as to embark on various innovative ideas and research for the country to develop.
Delivering the monthly lecture of NISER, Adeoti who said universities especially have many roles to play in moving the country forward through innovations and research said for them to do their job, there must be adequate increase in funding to aid research and development.
In his paper titled “Innovation For Inclusive Development: The Role of Nigerian Universities” delivered at the seminar, he said universities must wake up by reaching out and interacting with the society on what they need from ivory towers either conventional universities, specialised agricultural universities or specialised technology universities.
While saying that though universities in Nigeria are faced with challenges of limited financial resources and lack of clear university policy on interaction, he stressed that all hands must put on the desk for them to think differently and this will make them unique and perform their roles.
According to him, the major thing is that, governments, universities must be serious to ensure that we invest in science, technology and innovation, because there is no way we can create jobs without being committed to innovations, innovations that will bring more value and this is to ensure that we think differently.
“Universities must think beyond academic, they must interact with the host communities and the society at large, when they do that, they will help the society in innovations”
“Funding is the problem, and there is no way you can talk about things like innovations that you cannot talk about funding, but for this study we did, the emphasis is not all about funding alone, the emphasis is that universities should go beyond the academic to learn and interact with society, when they learn to do that, the issue of funding should be addressed, you cannot just fold your hands and say one should bring money, people will ask you why do you need money and for what purpose and that bring the issue of universities interacting with private sector, go out there what the private sector needs before you do your research find out what the industries need before you do your research and teaching and trainings and what will benefit the society, that is when they will be innovative”
“I am happy that some of the universities are doing that now saying for the transformation agenda of the federal government and those of the states to translate from theory to practical, adequate attention must be put on innovations by universities.
“Universities cannot sit back and continue to look, we are talking about transformation, and transformation can never be done without innovation, the micro foundation of the largest economy in Africa as we are now needed to embrace innovation, because big industries are embracing innovations to grow, in the way we do our things we must be innovative”
Adeoti said universities must work to achieve inclusive development which he said can only be beneficial to all and sundry.
Despite the challenges facing ivory towers across the nation, Adeoti recommended “the need to make a national policy on university interaction with external social partners which will recognise interaction as a form of scholarship”,
He added that there should be “encouragement of non-pecuniary contribution by communities to projects involving university interaction and adequate research infrastructure”
In his remarks, Director-General of NISER, Olufemi Taiwo, and a Professor commended the presenter for the good works which he said will go a long way to redeem the image of our ivory towers and make them contribute their own quota to national development.
Remi Feyisipo