Scholars at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, have called for stronger integration of research and innovation into Nigeria’s industrial and environmental development, insisting that academic knowledge must translate into practical solutions to the country’s pressing challenges.

The call was made during the institution’s 14th inaugural lecture, held in the school’s Assembly Hall.

Speakers at the event included the Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Lanre Nassar; Rector, Prof. Taiwo Lasisi; and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr David Oke, who delivered the lecture, titled: ‘Materials and environment: Safer communities from environmental engineering perspective.’

Nassar, a former Vice-Chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, said inaugural lectures provide important opportunities for scholars to showcase their research, innovations and contributions to knowledge, while also creating platforms for stronger collaboration between academia and industry.

He urged industries and corporate organisations to actively participate in inaugural lectures to gain exposure to research findings and innovations that could address challenges facing their operations.

“Industry players and companies should be encouraged to attend inaugural lectures so that they can learn about new ideas, research findings and innovations that could help address challenges confronting their organisations and contribute to problem-solving,” he said.

The council chairman stressed the need for academic institutions to ensure that their research and curricula respond directly to the needs of society and the nation.

He added that stronger collaboration between academia and industry would contribute significantly to innovation, industrial development and economic growth.

Lasisi, on his part, said the significance of inaugural lectures lies in their ability to demonstrate how academic research and innovation can be applied to real-life challenges.

He noted that research forms the foundation of many technological advancements, including artificial intelligence and renewable energy.

“An inaugural lecture is not just a presentation; it is an opportunity for a scholar to demonstrate how far he has gone in his academic, research and innovation journey and project the outcome to society at large, so that people can learn from it and, more importantly, apply the knowledge to real-life challenges,” he said.

The rector urged society to make greater use of research outcomes, saying innovations emerging from academic institutions could contribute significantly to solving developmental challenges.

He also charged students and younger scholars to remain committed to their academic aspirations, and to pursue research capable of making meaningful contributions to society.

In his lecture, Oke focused on the relationship between materials, environmental management and community safety.

He said the choice of topic was informed by the need to draw attention to often-overlooked environmental challenges.

The engineering scholar identified several environmental hazards, including noise pollution, contaminated water and the consequences of indiscriminate tree felling, as issues requiring greater public awareness and effective mitigation measures.

According to him, communities must understand the environmental conditions around them and the potential health implications of prolonged exposure to pollutants and other hazards.

Oke, who also highlighted the importance of trees to environmental sustainability, noted that indiscriminate felling could have serious consequences for the environment.

He explained that trees help absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, making their preservation critical to maintaining a healthy environment.

The don, however, identified weak monitoring and enforcement as major challenges to effective environmental protection in Nigeria.

He said the country has environmental laws and regulations, including requirements for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), but their effectiveness largely depends on compliance, monitoring, and enforcement.

“The question is: how effectively are these laws being monitored and enforced? That is where we need to do more. Having laws in place is not enough; there must be effective monitoring, compliance and enforcement to ensure that environmental standards are upheld,” he said.

The scholars stressed that closer collaboration among academic institutions, industries, government, and communities would be critical to ensuring that research findings are translated into innovations and practical solutions that advance Nigeria’s industrial growth and environmental sustainability.