From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, Professor Teddy Charles Adias has declared the readiness of the institution to enter into partnership with state and private sponsors in the areas of research and innovations to assist in national development.
According to Adias, the institution’s interest in partnership in the area of research and innovation is to encourage the vision and mission statement to expand the frontiers of knowledge and inculcate in the students qualities that will make them global change agents through creativity and innovation.
Adias, in a statement issued on the just concluded two-day workshop organized in conjunction with Centre of Petroleum, Pollution Control and Corrosion Studies (CEFPACS) with the theme “Enhancing Research and Innovation for Regional and National Development”, noted that the place of research and development in nation building cannot be over empathized in today’s world driven largely by innovations in science and technology.
Also speaking, the Dean, Faculty of Science, Professor Iheoma Adekunle pointed out that the institution is has entered into a memorandum of understanding with SAGOLOMA Farms Nigeria Ltd on Green House Technology, in order to engage in Agro-based research and proffer solutions to issues of modern day agriculture.
She also noted that the institution will engage in more capacity building workshop to expand the frontier among university lecturers and students to exchange views and ideas on the needed home grown research to solve contending issues in the country.
Earlier in his lecture titled “role of research, development and innovation in National Development”, Director, Centre for Excellence in Emerging Technologies (CEET), Professor Ibrahim Katampe attributed the nation’s stuttering development to the lack of proper investment in home grown Research and innovations.
Katampe, said despite the vast numbers of intellectuals in the nation’s tertiary institutions and the poor investment in the issue of research have led to the poor technological advancement of Nigeria and turned the country into a dumping ground for innovations of other developing and developed countries.
Ibrahim Katampe, who is a Professor of Chemistry and currently the Assistant Director for
Innovation & Technology Incubation, the College of Engineering, Science, Technology
and Agriculture (CESTA), Central State University, made this known during a capacity building workshop organized by the Faculty of Science, Federal University of Otuoke in conjunction with Centre of Petroleum, Pollution control and corrosion studies (CEFPACS).
Katampe, in his paper titled “role of research, development and innovation in National Development”, noted that recent checks have shown that developed countries partner with University egg-heads in the area of research and innovations in order to solve biting problems inhibiting development, “instead of casting aspersions and dwelling of problems, Nigeria should focus on adopting home grown solutions to problems rather than waiting for outside help.”