NACCIMA urges varsities to commercialise research findings
The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has advised Nigerian universities to commercialise their research findings to develop the country and realise the potential of human capital.
Director-General of NACCIMA, Ambassador Ayo Olukanni, gave the advice during the two-day research and development fair organised by the University of Ibadan (UI) in collaboration with Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission with the theme: “Societal Need-driven Research for National Development.”
Olukanmi, who said that Nigerian universities were blessed with intellectuals with capabilities that could put the nation’s name among the first world countries, called for harnessing of the nation’s human resource.
He maintained that human resources are the greatest asset that could set the country on the trajectory of development.
“I think that message is quite clear that the greatest resource we can have is a human resources. We have the capability, we have the brains in our universities. Our researchers and members of the academic segment of our society in the universities are, of course, there for us. All we need to do is to harness the resources and be able to put it into implementation and use it for development purposes.”
In the same vein, the Acting Director-General of DAWN Commission, Mr. Oluseye Oyeleye, said a country could not develop without relevant innovation and research.
Oyeleye emphasised that innovation must contribute to the challenge of growth and development.
Also presenting a paper titled, “Future Skills and Innovation in Corporate Organisation: Striking Partnership with Universities,” the Keynote Speaker and Group Managing Director, Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Mr. Adewale Raji, said the university should strive to carry along other stakeholders in the process of research findings to translate outcome of research works to national development.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, who spoke through the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, said that the programme was put together to fashion out ways of birthing innovations for national development.
In a goodwill message, Prof. Ibi Ajayi of the Department of Economics of the institution lamented that universities no longer get grants for research.
