February 13, 2024
President, African University of Science and Technology
Prof. Azikiwe Onwualu, President of African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, says Nigeria needs a National Research Fund (NSF) in order to fast-track development through research.
Onwualu said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), after a meeting he had with Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology on Tuesday in Abuja.
“If you look at developed countries, they have used research to drive development and each of them have what is called a national research fund,” he said.
The don disclosed that part of what the university was doing in collaboration with a donor agency in Canada, was to build the capacity of a number of countries within Africa.
He said such capacity was for these countries to have a national research fund, where people who intended to conduct research for national development could access funds.
Onwualu added that this was irrespective of whether such a researcher or innovator was from the public or private sector.
According to him, as long as the research is for the development of the country, funds will be made available and accessible via the NRF.
“So, if we build that NRF, it will enable people to access funds to do commercialisable research that can lead to products, goods and services.
“That was also one of outcomes of the meeting with the minister where he agreed to collaborate with us on this donor-funded project and others,” he said.
Onwualu said that technology could be used to solve societal problems in Nigeria, cutting across various sectors such as security, agriculture, housing infrastructure among others.
He said the University trained students from all over Africa in different areas of science, technology and innovation as well as in business.
“The whole idea is to train young Nigerians and young Africans with skills, what we call industry-ready students.
“Beyond the teaching and research we are doing, we have developed a number of technology-based products and these are what we came to brief the minister on.
“In addition to the teaching and research we do, we also have an innovation hub where ideas can be incubated and they become businesses,” the don said.
Onwualu stated that the University had a number of start-ups in its facilities, and expressed optimism that ideas emanating from these facilities could be used to solve national problems.
He said with more collaboration from the ministry in the area of capacity building, the university would be able to fast-track Nigeria’s progress. (NAN)
