Research And Development, Key To Economic Development – Bogoro

By Mayowa Okekale

Nigeria should make efforts to reverse all paradoxical indices of development through institutionalisation and support of research and development which would drive and shape her contemporary society and civilisation for economic development.

There has also been a missing link in our quest for development in human resources through strategic research and development. “Our investment in education boils down to research and development. This is because if you are investing in education, and you are not getting output of the qualitative research, then, there is little or no improvement”.

This was the disclosure made by the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Professor Sulaiman E. Bogoro, while delivering a lecture on the theme: ‘Institutionalization of research and development as the launch pad for Nigeria’s technological revolution’, at the 62nd interdisciplinary research discourse of the Postgraduate School, University of Ibadan.

In the event held at the Main Conference Centre of the institution, recently, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Isaac Adewole, in his opening remarks, opined that the lecture was coming at a very critical point in the history of Nigeria. “We are having a problem in this nation because we are focusing more on oil production which is not worthwhile enough. We believe this country has a great future, but the needful has to be done. We have to diversify and improve on research and development which is a vehicle for national development. We are also not failing in doing this in the University of Ibadan”, he admitted.

While bemoaning the stance of government on research and development in the nation, Professor Bogoro stressed that it is not creating the platform for researchers to develop their findings as a transformative and sustainable driver of the economy.

“In most countries, 70 per cent of research and development funds come from the industrial sector. But in Nigeria, there is only 0.2 percent, compared to other countries. This is the time to really challenge ourselves and return the situation to normalcy. Investment in educational research is very germane and our case should not be an exemption in Nigeria”, he added.

Speaking further on what gave TETFUND the impetus in promoting Research and Development, he maintained that there were inadequacy of centres of research in tertiary institutions. “Due to this, i believe there is a need now to conform with global trend in making research and development a launch pad of Nigeria’s quest for an enduring knowledge-driven technology and economic development”.

In his words: “We should have an agency that would run research and development appropriately. Most of the developed nations were not only knowledge-driven, but also have invested into thorough research and development to better their nations. Money set aside for this purpose should be targeted at genuine researchers and innovators”.

Professor Bogoro, however, that TETFUND is not reneging in its efforts to identifying with these challenges, saying it is playing its role through partnership with the tertiary institute, research centres, regulatory agencies and private sectors, to put research and development in a deserving place of honour.

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