Nigerian universities must shift from theoretical to solution-driven research — Experts

Nigerian universities have been urged to shift from theoretical to solution-driven and practical learning capable of driving meaningful research to address societal challenges.

This was the summation of discussants at this year’s Grooming Centre University Research Grant award event held at its headquarters in Lagos recently.

A total of 125 students comprising 21 PhD candidates, 29 postgraduates, and 75 undergraduates from across universities, polytechnics and other tertiary schools nationwide were presented with their research grants at the event.

Speaking during the panel session, the trio of Professor Funsho Olatunde from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka; Dr. Joseph Mfon, who is a Principal Consultant at Nafella Business Academy; and Dr. Ayodele Shittu, another don, underscored the importance of solution-driven research to the growth and development of the country’s economy.

The scholars said, “we are now in the 21st-century knowledge economy whereby universities and other tertiary institutions are expected to impact not only their environment but the global market.”

They pointed out that the era where lecturers concerned themselves only with the number of research papers they publish or students’ projects they supervise without thinking about how to translate those works to meet the needs of society has gone.

Research, they said, will need to address societal challenges and make life more worth living for people.

While highlighting some factors that inhibit impactful research today in the country, they cited lack of funds, mentorship and reliable data as major ones.

They also emphasised the importance of collaboration in research to make it more impactful.

According to them, partnerships between the academia, the industry, and organizations such as Grooming Centre will create needed value chains in the economy.

They said all that is required is creativity and innovation, citing how digital banking by some small tech companies is gradually making conventional banking unpopular in the country.

They, however, urged the awardees to use their grants strictly for intended purposes and also acquire some other important skills such as emotional intelligence, appreciative communication, and networking skills to help them turn their research work into fortune.

They said there are lots of opportunities, especially in the digital space, to achieve that once they remain focused and committed.

The dons, however, lauded Grooming Centre (a micro-financial institution) for providing the funds for the young researchers, saying the impact will spread across Nigeria and beyond.

The annual non-refundable grant is part of the social intervention initiatives of the Centre on Education to encourage and boost evidence-based research activities and knowledge among tertiary school students in critical economic areas that include social enterprise, microfinance, inclusive finance, rural development, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), women in development, and other areas that aim at lifting people out of poverty. And this year’s edition was the seventh in the series.

While each of the postgraduate students received a sum of N200,000, their undergraduate counterparts received N100,000.

In his welcome address, the Executive Director of Programmes, Grooming Centre, Mr. Alexander Enyinna, reinforced the essence of the grants to the direct beneficiaries and their families, as well as Nigerians in general.

He said Nigeria is a large market with many business opportunities, but only those with entrepreneurial and creative spirit could explore the opportunities to address people’s needs and create wealth.

Such a category of youths in schools, he noted, is the target of the Grooming Centre to help them attain financial freedom and even become employers of labour rather than job seekers.

He, however, expressed worry that the Centre didn’t get the required 150 students for sponsorship this year because many of the applications submitted at undergraduate level were not strong enough.

He urged schools to engage their students in practical and solution-driven research.

Shedding light on the applications received, a member of the technical committee who assessed the entries, Ms. Ier Jonathan-Ichaver, disclosed the Centre received higher applications (630 in all) this year, while only 125 scaled through instead of 150 across the two categories.

She highlighted some of the parameters used in selecting successful candidates to include relevance, originality, marketability, and sustainability of their research ideas.

On his part, Head, Special Project, Grooming Centre, Mr. Egulefu Chikezie, revealed that the Centre believes that many university students in the country would want to carry out research works on problem-solving issues that are impactful to the economy but have no money, hence the purpose of the research grants to support them.

He noted that what concerns the Centre is for research beneficiaries to create wealth with their projects and impact society and not about their schools, religion, or states of origin.

Chikezie emphasised that the winning research projects, with the grants being managed by the Centre for Research in Enterprise and Action in Management (CREM), are focused on issues relevant to the Nigerian context, practical, innovative, and capable of promoting any of the critical economic areas of interest in the Nigerian space.

Sharing their experiences with Nigerian Tribune in an interview, some of the beneficiaries revealed that the grants are a great relief to them and their families.

The duo of Mrs Olufunke Olatunji, who is a doctoral candidate at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), and Mr Isah Idowu Kabiu, a Food Science and Technology postgraduate student at Bayero University, Kano, said they were excited to win the grant, adding that it would go a long way to lessen their financial burdens.

While the research focus of Mrs. Olatunji, who is also a lecturer at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), is on adoption of digital technology application by women in cassava production in Nigeria and Ghana, Isah’s research focuses on valorisation of discoloured rice through development of value-added products.

They thanked Grooming Centre for the financial intervention while calling on other companies to take a cue from the gesture.