DEPUTY Vice Chancellor (Administration), University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Peter Olapegba, has stated that the institution is set to leverage the commercialization of its many innovations, research products, outcomes, and knowledge for national development.
Professor Olapegba spoke while receiving a team from Innovative UK Business Connect on behalf of the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Kayode Adebowale, during a courtesy visit to the university.
Olapegba appreciated the visiting team for coming to the UI, noting that the university is the right choice for collaboration in academic research and innovation in Nigeria, given its antecedents.
He noted that the institution has set up a committee to commercialise the many patents and intellectual properties of experts and researchers from the various departments and faculties of the institution.
He said the committee will encourage partnerships with businesses and funders of research for innovations, ideas, and research outcomes.
He disclosed that the UI, in the past 76 years, had, through the comprehensive spectrum and commitment of its research leaders, professional experts, and scholars, established the nexus to use the generated knowledge for the benefits of the communities in Nigeria and globally.
Meanwhile, he noted that one of the challenges facing the institution is funding, but in spite of this, it had been able to cultivate a culture of excellence in teaching and research.
Professor Olapegba stated that the university is willing to partner with Innovate UK Business Connect on the commercialization of its research products and collaborations to promote more strategic qualitative research.
The leader of the visiting team, Dr Joanna Scales, who was accompanied by Dr Pedro Carvalho, said Innovate UK is an organisation funded by the UK government to support research and innovation in the United Kingdom and internationally.
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She listed the functions of Innovate UK as giving direct support to universities, development of business ideas, and commercialization of academic findings into products and services.
According to Dr Scales, Innovate UK is in the process of developing a programme called ‘The Climate-Smart Agricultural Partnership’ that would involve collaboration between the UK, Brazil, Ghana, and Nigeria with the aim of promoting smart agricultural practices in Africa.
Dr Scales said the programme will focus on climate-smart agricultural technologies with a project validity of 40 million pounds to improve food production in Ghana and Nigeria through collaboration between the UK, Brazil, Nigeria, and Ghana.
She stated that Innovate UK seeks to build networks and promote opportunities in the cocoa value chain, oil palm, cassava, pests and disease management, soil fertility, agroforestry, goats production, identify challenges and opportunities, expertise, technologies, and encourage knowledge sharing between the four countries.
Dr Scales said the partnership will attract two funding competitions/applications among partners in the four countries: staff exchange, support for travel, funding for collaborative projects between universities and companies, and commercialization of innovations..
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