The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) Professor Suleiman Bogoro has said reiterated the need for massive investment in research and innovation towards bringing about the desired growth and development in the country as well as transforming the socio-economic sectors.
Bogoro who spoke on Saturday at the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti(ABUAD) while delivering the convocation lecture titled, “University as Catalyst for Regional Economic Development”, described research as a potent elixir for development, saying that quality of research output from ivory tower forms the bedrock of economic advancement of any nation.
The professor of animal science stressed the urgent need for institutionalization of research in Nigeria with a focus on creating the platforms for the transitions of the country’s economy from resource-oriented to knowledge-based.
He called on the researchers to partner in finding possible solutions to the myriads of emerging socio-economic challenges facing the country and position Nigeria as one of the key players in the knowledge economy.
He regretted that the Nigerian universities which are supposed to be a viable platform for deepening knowledge and promotion of cutting edge innovations have become political enclaves for politicians to play politics.
Bogoro said, “Endowment, research foundations are the DNA of Ivory towers over time but I am afraid sadly that we are treating them as if they are political enclaves rather than a platform for deepening knowledge, creating knowledge and cutting edge innovation, which is beyond average; that is why universities are called the ivory towers.
“Unfortunately, we have gone in the wrong direction for quite a while, sometimes you see square pegs not being placed in square holes, even within the university system and these are areas that bother us. If you do not have somebody that believes and support problems solving research presiding over the university, then that university is destroyed. I just hope we are able to change this for our nation to grow.”
Bogoro who applauded ABUAD for its giant strides in research especially the recent development of a herbal cure for covid-19, which is currently undergoing final clinical trial, said the institution has carved a niche for itself on the map academic excellence and research in the country and globally.
In his remarks, ABUAD founder, Aare Afe Babalola who named the newly commissioned research centre in the institution after the TETFUND boss, advocated extension of funding to the private universities in the overall interest of the country’s education sector.
He lamented that public universities solely depend on funding from the budgetary allocation, saying that without TETFUND many institutions would not survive.
“Instead of giving any well-established universities monies to build guest houses, they should be given funds for research and innovation,” he said
Babalola called on the universities to explore alternative means and set up departments that would attract research funding as well as seek and manage the endowment.
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