UNILAG VC Seeks Appropriate Research to Cushion Recession

 

FunmiOgundare

The Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos, Professor Rahamon Ade-Bello, has stressed the need for appropriate research into the country’s economic activities and use of raw agricultural and natural resources. This he said is the only way to cushion the effect of the current recession in the county.

Ade-Bello, who made this known recently at the institution’s annual research conference and fair, said the move should be sustained with the aim of establishing novel and viable processes for their uses and applications, as well as export to other users outside the country.

With the theme ‘Diversification in a Developing Economy: Promoting Academia- Industry Collaboration’, he said the conference was intended to catalyse the urgent linkage between researchers and the industry to enhance the economic development of the nation.

“With Nigeria in recession the need to re-engineer the fabrics of our economic activities to ensure a solid and virile base is urgent.  This can only be achieved if the country has a productive economy where the larger chunk of its material needs are produced locally with the attendant optimal use of our agricultural and natural resources.”

While stating that the theme is appropriate considering the mood of the nation, he said the conference sought to bring up avenue for exposure to industrialists and entrepreneurs’ research results that should be taken advantage of while industrialists and other economic operators could challenge the researchers and open up collaborations on issues with their operations or businesses.

“This is the only way our collective efforts can yield fruits to the university, the industry and the national economic development.”

Ade-Bello noted that the institution established a research and innovation unit about three years ago to assist researchers to identify patentable works and further expose the results of research to end-users to stimulate the economy; and to stimulate inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary researches.

“The unit has taken this challenge and has effectively been narrowing the gap between academic and the industry through a two-way linkage. In the last one year various interactions between Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) operators and researchers in the university ensued as well as interactions between different Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) groups and researchers in the university.  We are beginning to have the feel of the linkages as we expect industry-driven/sponsored researches to become prevalent at the institution.”

While acknowledging the support of the sponsors of the various parts of its research, the VC appealed to them to continue to partner the university in championing the course to bridge the gap between the town and the gown in transforming the society to a better place for all.

“I must say to our sponsors that your investments are encouraging and are bound to yield fruits. We are therefore achieving the desired goal of enthroning excellence in academics and research in the university.”

 

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