Universities Must Embrace Innovation, Says NASENI Boss

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Piqued by the low level of innovations and technological advancement in Nigeria, the Vice Executive Chairman/Executive Officer, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Dr. Khalid Halilu, has urged Nigerian universities to lead in transition from the teaching and research towards national economic growth through innovations.

Halilu made this call while speaking as guest lecturer at the 4th Engineer Joseph Oyeyani Makoju Memorial Lecture, at Felele Campus of the Federal University in  Lokoja yesterday.

He noted that for Nigeria to be self-reliant and become productive nation, the universities must evolve beyond teaching and research to embrace a third mission, delivering economic and societal impact through innovation.

Halilu explained that the commercialisation of research and development outputs remains the missing link in Nigeria’s development equation, adding that the nation possesses the talent, ideas, and institutions and it must now build the systems that convert knowledge into economic value.