By Modupe George
The dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, Professor Adekunle Bakare, has identified poor funding and reward system as the bane of scientific research in Nigeria, saying “as long as the support is not there, we can forget about national development.”
Professor Bakare, who stated this at the opening of the faculty’s 5th International Conference on Scientific Research in Nigeria noted that “we have a lot of good researchers in Nigeria, today, but the wherewithal to do adequate research is not there.”
The theme of the international conference, which is biennial in nature, was ‘Strengthening Scientific Research for National Development.’
According to the don, “if there is adequate funding and appropriate reward system in place, we can rest assured that scientific research will be appropriately done and the results will have meaningful impacts on national development.”
While he described research as a capital-intensive venture, he said what is being done in Nigeria today is paying lip service to scientific research.
“It is possible to say that the government is giving out funds, but those of us in the academia know that most of these funds are not getting to where they are supposed to get to and in most cases, the funds are not even enough,” he said
Reiterating that researchers need a strong financial support system, he noted that the support does not have to come from the government alone, the private sector can also partner with researchers in tertiary institutions to fund scientific research.
In his opening remarks at the conference, the vice chancellor of the institution, Professor Kayode Adebowale, represented by the deputy vice chancellor, (academics) Professor Aderonke Baiyeroju, decried the current state of scientific research in Nigeria, hence his love for the theme of the conference.
The VC, who was a former dean of the faculty, also emphasised that “all hands must be on the deck to strengthen scientific research for human development in Nigeria.”
The executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Mr Sonny Echono, while delivering the first lecture on the topic, ‘Strengthening Scientific Research for National Development: The TETFund Approach’ said scientific research should be a priority of any nation that desires to achieve its developmental aspirations.
Represented at the conference by the Director of Research and Development Centre of Excellence, TETFund, Dr Salihu Bakari, he also charged all stakeholders to play their part in promoting impactful scientific research in line with contemporary realities to support national aspirations.
President of the Nigeria Academy of Science, Professor Ekanem Braide, while delivering the second lecture on the theme of the conference, stated that for national problems to be conclusively addressed, there is a need for healthy collaboration between researchers, government, industry and community in a quadruple helix arrangement.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Statistical Indicators for Measuring Good Governance in Africa,’ the Oyo State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Professor Dahud Shangodoyin, said that there is need for African governments to provide sufficient funding within their budgetary system to cater for data needed in measuring peoples’ wellbeing through research.
He charged researchers, be it individuals and groups, to apply for external funds to be able to push the frontier of knowledge in the nation.
The chairman of the of the Local Organising committee, Professor Oluwadayo Sonibare while speaking on the rationale behind the biennial conference said the purpose was to bring scientists all over and outside Nigeria together to rub minds, exchange ideas as well as look at recent developments in science and how they can be utilised to develop the nation.
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