Academics and professionals in the field of Pure and Applied Science have attributed the downturn in Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product to inability of the industry and academic to work together.
Speakers at the National Development Conference of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro rose from the event on December 5th with a communique that proposed “synergy between industry and the academia as a panacea for scientific and technological advancement of the country, stressing that the seemingly daunting economic challenges were surmountable.
The Rector of the institution, Dr. Olusegun Aluko, told the conference, hosted by the School of Pure and Applied Sciences, that existing economic problems Nigeria has been facing lately would abate if experts in tertiary institutions and professionals in the industry jointly tackled the challenges.
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“Relevant government and regulatory agencies should come together in this regard. We need this kind of cooperation in order to produce skilled and industry-relevant human power, which will ultimately contribute to national development,” he said.
Conference Chairman, Mr. Duro Kuteyi, emphasised the need for the country to be able to “feed its citizens”, adding that indigenous food production that has been on the rise lately, must be sustained.
Also speaking at the same vein, the Country Director of International Livestock Research Institute, Ibadan, addressed the theme of the conference: “Synergy between industry and academia: a panacea for scientific and technological development”.
He explained that diligent research in collaboration with tertiary institutions could create huge employment only if the outcome of the researches were translated to consumer products and services.
Other speakers at the annual conference, which featured patents and research findings of the institution, included Dr. O.P. Durojaye (Dean of the school), Dr. O.O. Akinkurolere and Dr. O.A. Oduwobi.
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