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Science lecturers and members of the academia from Nigerian universities have urged President Bola Tinubu to revisit policies frustrating scientific innovation and economic development.
The university lecturers, in a communique issued at the end of the First Annual Faculty of Science International Conference held at the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) Secretariat with the theme ‘Harnessing Current and Emerging Scientific Innovation for Nation Building and Development in the 21st Century’, also urged the Tinubu administration not to jettison or sabotage national policies, enacted by past administrations, geared towards national development.
The communique, issued after plenary and technical sessions with scientific papers and signed by the chairman, LOC AFSIC-NDU2024, Prof. Ebimieowei Etebu, and the dean, Faculty of Science, NDU, Prof. Azibaola Kesiye Inengite, noted that previous policies that were poised to grow the nation’s technological base, and improve the livelihoods of her nationals (such as cassava policy) should be revised and brought on board by the present administration.
According to the communique, “Government should encourage the development of locally developed technological innovations through formulation of relevent policies. There should be regular interaction between government, academia and industry to cross fertilise ideas on raising the standard of life of her citizenry. The government should champion this cause.”
The university lecturers also called on government to adequately fund state and federal universitys’ faculties of science, through proper motivation of staff, provision of standard scientific laboratories, conducive learning classrooms and employment of staff.
The pool of academia however pointed out that the worry expressed on technology transfers and Japan syndrome may be misplaced, adding that “there are numerous scientific findings stashed away in our institutional libraries and repositories that are yet untapped; due to lack of funding or because they were not industry-driven.
“No nation would willingly transfer her technology to another. Every nation must develop and grow her technological base; hence there is need for us to look inward in seeking ways to resolve our social challenges.
“Most academics do not think beyond the classroom and publishing scientific papers just for academic promotions. Our university students are mostly poorly trained; a plethora of challenges limit a friendly teaching and learning environment particularly in the sciences.”
They called on the management of the nation’s institutions of higher learning to design educational and training curricula, which would be revised to meet current needs and realities,According to the the statement. “Academics must begin to think outside the box, beyond the classroom and publishing scientific papers just for academic advancement but provide solutions to the challenges of their immediate environment and society; produce graduates with real-life problem-solving mentality.
“Skill assessment should be regularly carried out by universities to identify skill-gaps amongst academics and conduct relevant training programs and or employ staff to bridge or eliminate such skill gaps/deficits.”
