Why many Nigerians don’t win international research grants — Don

A university professor and Dean of Faculty of Computational Sciences and Informatics, Academic City University College, Accra, Ghana, Tope Longe, has revealed reasons many Nigerian scholars, especially in the universities, don’t win international research grants.

He said that “chief among these reasons is their flagrant display of arrogance when it comes to going for award-winning research proposals.”

Professor Longe made this revelation at a seminar organised by the Department of Computer Sciences of Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, recently.

As the guest lecturer, he delivered a paper, titled: “The Psychology of a Winning Grant Proposal Writing” at the event.

Professor Longe, a multiple-award winner, gave other reasons to include lack of creativity, unhealthy rivalry and unwillingness to collaborate with other colleagues, among others.

While asking participants and their colleagues in the country to work on these factors and explore the opportunity of research grants, particularly by international agencies and institutions to better their lots and that of the society, he offered some other tips that could help them succeed in such a journey.

He said they should understand that a research grant is not a rocket science and therefore, is only required to be unique, creative and innovative in building a multi-disciplinary approach for new theories and ideas that will solve societal problems.

He also encouraged them to engage in healthy competition and not rivalry and collaboration among themselves across or within cadres.

He said deans of faculties and heads of departments, for example, could form one formidable research group and work toward winning one big or multiple research projects.

He said there was nothing wrong in either group or individual research work.

In their separate remarks at the event, both the vice chancellor of Chrisland University, Professor Chinedum Peace Babalola and the head of Department, Computer Sciences, Professor Isaac Odun-Ayo, commended the guest speaker, saying his paper was really an eye-opener to participants.