Okojie blames lack of policy, culture for poor research in Nigeria Universities

The former Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie has described a lack of proper culture and policy as the major constraint to research in Nigeria Universities.

Prof. Okojie who disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday during his visit to Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state as a special guest of the Institution’s Research Fair held at Chike  Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurs as part of the activity to mark its 13th Convocation ceremony.

The former NUC boss said the country was not doing well in research because there were no proper developed culture and policy for research in Nigeria.

He noted that the Nigerian academics who are supposed to be doing researches are just writing single projects when they should be working as a team.

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” We have not developed proper culture and policy in Nigeria for research. Our academics write single projects when they should be working as a team” he lamented.

He also lamented that Nigeria’s academics lack the skills of writing quality research proposals, and urged them to do interdisciplinary research proposals rather than a single project.

“Even the act of writing a proposal is difficult to them. They need to do interdisciplinary research proposals” he advised.

He explains that research in the country is not taken seriously because we have not developed the proper philosophy and culture in our universities.

“You always hear academics saying there are no funds for research in Nigeria When there are over N4 billion research money waiting for them at Tertiary Education Trust Funds. Some of them are not even aware that such research fund exists”he said.

He added that University is a community of scholars who are serious about researches and Nigeria must develop that policy and culture for research in our universities.