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  • Rethinking research, technology, others for Africa’s growth

    Rethinking research, technology, others for Africa’s growth

    Scholars, researchers and academics converged recently on the University of Lagos (UNILAG) for the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) conference to look into the future of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Africa, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports.

    When scholars, researchers and academics from 17 African universities as well as American and European institutions assembled at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, for the 4th International Biennial Conference of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), they had one purpose: to chart a way forward for the continent’s development, to explore ways to reposition higher education institutions for better impact, among others.

    This year’s conference hosted in UNILAG for the first time, had as theme: Reimagining the future of higher education in Africa. It provided ample opportunity for participants to take part in impactful discourse, rethink research and innovation that would improve higher education in Africa towards all round growth.

    UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, said over the years, the African Research Universities Alliance has been at the forefront of redirecting collective thinking towards intentionally addressing the existential crisis bedevilling the continent. The VC noted that UNILAG aligns with its goal and the school’s research and development culture prioritises addressing urgent societal challenges, particularly within the framework of global agreements, while pursuing an all-embracing agenda to be a ‘Future ready’ university.

    “It is my firm belief that universities have both an educational and social function. Knowledge institutions have critical roles to play in convening evidence across disciplines and dissemination across sectors, horizon scanning (clarifying and defining boundaries for emerging technologies and new areas of inquiry) and raising awareness through teaching and advocacy (alongside stakeholders, policy makers and the public).  Universities are the place where a desired future can be imagined – and our business today is to imagine a desired future for Africa and going beyond that, to establish the steps required to produce a new generation of African thinkers and doers that can take us to this desired future. The truth is that if Africa is going to change, it must start from the mind,” she said.

    Ogunsola urged participants to use the conference to network with one another, both accomplished and emerging researchers. She thanked the Carnegie Corporation, the European Guild and other partners and sponsors for prioritising academic cooperation with Africa.

    Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule Akibu, said it was imperative as a continent and government to be on the platform of progress where the dreams and aspirations of the students, educators and policymakers converge. According to him, the complexities of the modern world require the acquisition of a higher education, which is a beacon of enlightenment, a guide towards a future defined by knowledge, innovation and partnership.

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    The governor hailed ARUA for being at the forefront of change and innovation in higher education across Africa, adding that through collaborative efforts, research and knowledge sharing; it has paved the way for transformation of the continent’s education. He described the occasion as that of immense opportunity, where universities have the power to create long lasting impact and shape the destiny of Africa through cutting-edge research and sound university education delivery.

    “We acknowledge the challenges that persist in the realm of higher education. Yet, within these challenges lie opportunities for transformation and progress. In this mosaic of stories, we found ourselves united by a common purpose to re-imagine higher education in Africa and empower the next generation of leaders, innovators, and change-makers. Together, we can break barriers, bridge gaps and build a future that is inclusive, equitable and prosperous,” he said.

    He stressed the need for participants to take it as a collective responsibility to address the challenges afflicting realisation of the academic potential of Africa.

    Chairman of ARUA Board and Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, described education as the surest path towards transforming Africa. He urged African universities to swiftly increase the number of researchers in Africa, adding that it is the only effective way to solve Africa’s challenges and deliver it from poverty.

    According to him, young and vibrant African researchers in their bid to make the continent advance should ask themselves many pertinent questions. “How to feed this population and how do we make sure that the population is healthy, or how do we make sure that the conflict in Africa diminish even if it does not reduce the African population?

    “These are the pertinent questions the researchers must begin to ask themselves so as to reduce poverty in Africa; and to make the continent more stable,” he said. Also, at the conference, researchers and scholars were urged to see Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a problem-solving mechanism and prevent it from worsening unemployment on the continent.  Management of higher education institutions in Africa were urged to set worthy examples of leadership by deepening research geared towards national and continental development.  Participants also raised eyebrows over poor funding of tertiary education by many African countries, which continues to hamper quality of research. However, there was an urgent call to address funding problems afflicting the delivery of university education in Africa, with indigenous funding of research to guarantee originality and avoiding undue influence from external sponsors.

  • Professionals urge govt, private sector to invest in research, growth

    Professionals urge govt, private sector to invest in research, growth

    To harness technological innovations for sustainable growth, experts have stressed the need for government and private sector to invest in Research and Development (R&D).

    This, according to them, was because investment in science, technology and innovation (STI) is essential for economic growth, social progress and plays vital roles in wealth and transformation in any society.

    The experts, who spoke at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Alumni Association biennial lecture, also stressed the need for companies in Nigeria to improve their investment and involvement in research and development so as to drive industrial growth.

    They urged the Federal Government to focus on reintegrating brilliant Nigerians from diverse sectors into the universities’ research and development ecosystem.

    At the event held in Lagos, the Vice-Chancellor, FUTO, Prof. Nnenna Oti, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Research, Development and Innovation, FUTO, Prof. Emeka Oguzie, said the theme of the event,  which was “Nigeria’s quest for development: The technological fast-tracking”, was apt to address Nigeria’s economic and technological issues for the survival and progress.

    According to her, “I have no doubt that these topics were carefully chosen as part of the efforts by every concerned citizen of Nigeria to contribute towards rescuing Nigeria from the present economic and technological quagmire we found ourselves in.

    “Consequently, I pray the outcome of this biennial lecture will be utilised by the appropriate authorities to launch Nigeria into the technologically and economically developed committee of nations.”

    In his keynote address, the Chairman, MTN Nigeria, Ernest Ndukwe, explained that it would be a big mistake not to select lecturers and researchers from people with the best talents to teach science and technology.

    “Nigeria needs to embrace competence rather than quota system no matter where you come from. If you want to do science and technology, you choose the best brain and mind and they will come out with the best result you need,” he said.

    He said he believes that every part of Nigeria has qualified people, but “unfortunately each time we are employing, we do not consider thorough processes to get the best of Nigerians, instead we pick our relatives and friends”.

    “What this does is that at the end of the day, the nation does not get the best people who will produce the best result. This lack of thorough process to get the best qualified people has held this country down and we need to address it,” he said.

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    Delivering a lecture titled, “Harnessing technological innovations for sustainable development In Nigeria’, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Research, Development and Innovation, FUTO, Professor Emeka Oguzie, acknowledged that the current university ecosystem design cannot give the nation the desires in harnessing the benefit of science and technology.

    According to him, there was a need to mobilise experts on technology and innovation for sustainable development that would facilitate interaction and networking between government officials, innovators, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.

    He also said there was a need for R&D manpower reforms that focus on reintegrating brilliant Nigerians from diverse, adding that present government policy does not allow them to bring technocrats on part-time bases now.

    In his own remarks, Deus Uche Osuji, Chairman Planning Committee, said he is happy with the consciousness, engagement and discussions that the biennial lecture has triggered, “especially its unanimous call to shun mediocrity, raise and deploy body of competent Nigerians to drive our technological drive”.

    Expressing optimism, he said that “this will be taken further as we strive to put a hold on many of our national woes leveraging technological innovations”.

    “Listening to our guest lecturer, and panelist, and examining the depth of discussions, cause analysis and recommendations, I could not be more fulfilled at the success of the Biennial lecture”, enthused Mr. Osuji.

    Mr. Ikye Anyanwu, the Chairman of the Publicity and Media sub-committee of the lecture noted that, “the alumni remain committed to support FUTO both individually and collectively. “

    “This is easier and more effective using a framework aligned with the school and coordinated by the national president,” Anyanwu.

  • Vice-Chancellors seek more investment in cutting edge research

    Vice-Chancellors seek more investment in cutting edge research

    The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities has asked the Federal Government to invest more in research.

    The body asked the government to earmark at least five per cent of its gross domestic products for research.

    The Secretary-General of the CVCNU, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, stated this in Abuja ahead of the 60th anniversary of the committee.

    He lamented that Nigerian scholars don’t feature in the list for Nobel Prize because of lack of funding to carry out prolonged cutting – edge research.

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    He said: “We do not have enough funding for research in this country and the benchmark is at least five per cent of your gross domestic products which should be set aside for research. We are not even investing one per cent.

    “We do not have the facility to do cutting edge research over a sustained period of time to compete with researchers from other parts of the world and make the significant breakthroughs that qualify for a Nobel prize nomination not to talk of winning. You now see why Nigerians and Africans hardly feature when the list of Nobel Prize is released.

     “To win a Nobel Prize is a product of sustained and rigorous research in the academic discipline, it is not a one-off thing. The average age for a Nobel prize winner is from 50 years, which means that the person would have been doing research for at least 10 years to make a major breakthrough in his area of specialisation.”

  • ‘UAT will expand digitisation to enhance research’

    ‘UAT will expand digitisation to enhance research’

    The Management of the University of Africa Toru-Orua, (UAT), Bayelsa State said it will continue to expand and explore windows for the digitisation of the institution to further enhance research and academic excellence.

     It said the utilisation of Information and Communication Technology, ICT, tools has been key in the preference of the University of Africa Toru-Orua, UAT, by training institutions and partners within and outside Bayelsa State.

     The UAT Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma stated this as a keynote speaker at the just concluded 2023 Press Week organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bayelsa State Council, at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Yenagoa.

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     He said parents and guardians of students at UAT can access and monitor the academic progress of their wards online following the digitisation of its systems just as e-learning is being programmed for the flood season.

     Speaking on the theme: Expanding Media Knowledge for a Better Information Management in the Niger Delta Region, Prof. Ayakoroma advocated participatory media action that will enable citizens to access, critically analyse and interpret media contents as it will help to build confidence and guard against fake news.

     The varsity don noted that the role of the media remains crucial to a credible and successful Governorship Election in Bayelsa State and tasked members of the pen profession to raise the bar on political sensitisation as Bayelsans prepare for the November 11 polls. He applauded journalists for their services and contributions to national development and congratulated the NUJ Bayelsa State Council for a successful Press Week.

  • Improve research for lecturers, students in Biotechnology, says don

    A professor of Biotechnology at the Ota, Ogun State based Covenant University (CU), Olawole Obembe, has urged the three tiers government to further develop secondary and tertiary education.

    Obembe, of the Department of Biological Sciences, is also seeking improved research in biotechnology, adding that the discipline should be based on long term training rather than through seminars and workshops. This, he said, is in addition to aggressive funding of specialised biotechnology centres and agencies such as the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA); National Centre for Genetic Research and Biotechnology (NACGRAB); and Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), among others.

    Delivering CU’s 19th inaugural lecture at the university premises last week, Obembe, appealed to authorities across Africa to increase capacity for food production. This, according to Obembe, becomes necessary particularly amid the grim prediction by the United Nations that an additional two billion individuals are most likely to be malnourished by 2050.

    Obembe, who spoke on the topic: “Subdue and dominate the earth: Plant Biotechnology for sustainable development’, admonished authorities to leverage plant biotechnology, which he described as the panacea for food, feed and fibre production.

    He said, “It is noteworthy that while the world’s population is increasing phenomenally in fulfilment of the mandate of creation, the size of the planet earth remains fixed and its resources also remain finite. This challenge has had its effect on socio economic development and the overall quality of life.

    “Plants are pivotal to the existence of life on the earth and in situations whereby population growth is exceeding food production, agriculture is as never before crucial to the economies and environments of the world.

    “Modern agriculture must meet the demands of the ever increasing population and expectation of improved living standards, in the presence of frightening harmful consequences of diminishing arable land and environmental pollution, plant biotechnology offers the world significant opportunities to subdue and dominate over the challenge of ever growing demand for food, feed and fibre production, as well as the need for good health and well-being, ensuring that more efficient use of the world’s limited resources and consequently contributing to sustainable development.”

    Obembe said Africa has the opportunity of profiting immensely from agricultural biotechnology because of its large population, rich yet uncultivated arable land which could be fully maximised.

    He continued: “African countries have the greatest potentials to benefit from modern agricultural biotechnology. This is due to the fact that about 70 per cent of the populations derive their livelihood from farming. The agriculture is the single largest employer of labour worldwide, providing income for 40 per cent of the current global population.

    “Agriculture contributes the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households. Globally, 500 million small farms, most of which are still rain-fed, produce about 80 per cent of food consumed in major part of the developing world. It is noteworthy that 65 per cent of Africa’s workforce is employed by the agricultural sector, which also contributes 32 per cent of the continents’ gross domestic product.

    “Agriculture accounts for one third of Nigeria’s GDP and it is the leading employment sector, as it employs over two third of the country’s total workforce. Thus unlocking this sector holds the key to socio-economic transformation in African countries in general and Nigeria in particular. Africa is home to over half of the world’s uncultivated arable land and as such has limitless opportunities to leverage on new technologies.”

    Obembe noted that plant biotechnology may not directly play a role in attaining sustainable development goals (SDG4) which seeks to ensure quality and all-encompassing education for all, yet it can make indirect contribution by reducing hunger, poverty and improve health.

    “By increasing the wealth generating opportunities of the resource poor farmers in rural communities with provision of better crops, they (mall scale farmers) could afford to enroll their children in school, thereby increasing the percentage of school children.

    “It is generally believed that education is the foundation for improving quality of life as well as the key that will enable the achievements of several other sustainable Development Goals. With quality education, people can break from the cucle of poverty and can live healthier and sustainable lives, and in tolerance among other people thereby contributing to more peaceful societies.”

  • Varsity hosts first Research Fellow

    Kola Daisi University (KDU), Ibadan has hosted its first Research Fellow, Mr Colin Bos, from the United States of America.

    Bos, a doctoral student of the Department of History at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, US, is working on West African intellectual history, indigenous medicine and healing culture.

    During his four-week stint at KDU, Bos probed the ‘role of textuality and orality in healing cultures’, as well as the interaction between biomedicine and social perspectives to health issues at the indigenous level, towards unravelling West Africans’ attitudinal dispositions to science, medicine and diseases.

    While giving further insight into his study, Bos said he delved into African history as a motivation for the shame he felt for his ignorance about African history against the reality of some indigenous African practices like Ifa divination which he rated to be enjoying wider acceptance, to the extent of becoming transatlantic phenomena.

    “One thing that has motivated my research was the shame I felt in knowing so little about African history and Africa’s many and diverse cultures. It was disturbing to me when I first studied African history how this had never been presented to me before even though I had learnt so much about the history of everywhere else,” he said.

    Bos, who could not hide his admiration of the richness of the African culture, summed his observation that many of the cultures were shrouded in much mystery, especially those of the Yoruba extraction but however advocated that “those traditions deserve respect and admiration from around the world”.

    The researcher therefore called for more study on the African culture beyond the realm of tradition, to appreciate “its deep influence in politics, religion, health and medical histories that had hitherto been taken for granted”.

    Hosting the researcher to a luncheon after his stay, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kolade Ayorinde, thanked Bos for his choice of KDU for his research as part of the academic requirements for his Doctoral programme.

    Ayorinde expressed the hope that the research findings will strengthen the understanding, profile and prestige of the African culture and also be pivotal to human development across shores, irrespective of cultural background.

    The Vice-Chancellor also appreciated the Dean of the University’s Faculty of Arts, Management and Social Sciences, Dr Rasheed Olaniyi, for facilitating the academic exchange programme with a challenge for further collaborations with notable academic institutions, globally.

  • AfDB strengthens regional collaboration on research

    AfDB strengthens regional collaboration on research

    Strengthening regional collaboration on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) education and research networks was the subject of a panel discussion held at the Third Africa STI forum held in Cairo, the African Development Bank has said.

    Scientific Research and Technology are expected to play a huge role in development and industrialization in the coming years, the bank said. They are strategic to Africa’s industrialization and can enable the continent to leapfrog to the fourth industrial revolution.

    Africa has several distinguished research centers and regional specialized facilities funded by a number of countries. These are centers of excellence designed to provide scientific and innovative solutions to development challenges in Africa.

    However, scientific research requires adequate financial resources and infrastructure to ensure effective results. Head of New Technologies and Innovation at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Kasirim Nwuke, believes that in order for countries to achieve integration, they need to start by assessing the competitiveness condition in member states and address policy issues.

    Director General, West and Central Africa Research and Education Network, Boubakar Barry,  says that it fundamental for research centers in the continent to stay connected among themselves and continue to have access to research results achieved in different regions. In modern times, ICT facilitates the achievement of this goal.

    Executive Director, African Academy for Science, Nelson Torto said that the Academy plays an advocacy role in the continent, in addition to honoring scientific achievement. It was founded by a group of the highly distinguished scientists in Africa and funded by a number of countries as well as grants from different global bodies. The Academy has 400 Fellows, one- third of them females.

    The World Bank is supporting these efforts through a center of excellence established within the frame of a regional initiative. “The center aims at meeting labor market demands, and providing scientific solutions for development challenges” says Javier Botero Alvarez, Lead Education Specialist, Education Global Practice, World Bank.

    This goal will be achieved through strengthening the capacity of universities in a number of countries competitively selected. The center is covering ten priority sectors and includes sixteen countries. The initiative is expected to have a positive impact on industry, improve the skills STEM asset and strengthen national TVET system.

  • NIMR inaugurates advisory board on research funding

    The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, has inaugurated a Research Advisory Board.

    The 14-member, whose tenure is five years, are Prof of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Ighovwerha Ofotokun, Prof Alash’le Abimiku of the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, former NIMR Director-General (DG), Prof Oni Emmanuel;  Professor of Paediatrics and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Calabar, Prof Martin Madu Meremikwu; Prof of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, UCL Institute for Global Health; and National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) DG, Dr Sani Aliyu.

    Others are Director at the Postgraduate Institute for Medical research (MRAT), College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof Ayo Oduola; Consultant Obstetrics/Gynaecology and Director, Centre for Population and Reproductive Health, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof Oladosu Ojenegbede; Professor of Psychiatry and Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, Neuroscience, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, University of Ibadan, Prof Oyewusi Gureje, former Gombe State Governor, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje, and Lagos State Health Commis-sioner, Dr Olajide Idris.

    National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Executive Director, Dr Echezona Edozie Ezeanolue; West African College of Surgeons Fellow, American College of Surgeons and International College of Surgeons, Prof Stanley N.C. Anyanwu; and a community Development and Innovations Diffusion Specialist, Prof Mohammed Shittu.

    According to the NIMR DG, Prof Babatunde Salako, the collection of these experts is principal to assisting NIMR to attract patronage, from individuals or organisations  they are credible people who have made their marks in the profession.

    Salako said: “They are chosen with a clear and simple mandate which is to assist the institute as a research organisation attracts funding from both local and international communities, so it can develop its ability and capability to deliver on its mandate on improving on the healthcare system in Nigeria. We have some countries that have also done like this.”

    Salako said: “The number of those on the Board is representative that we do not need too many people but quality hands that can move the plow and deliver on record time. It is guaranteed that they will use their network, contacts, and connections in Nigerian and around the world to assist the institute to attract grants.”

    Idigbe said: “Having realised that there is no way we, as researchers, could obtain results that could impact life of masses without serious funding. The advisory board was put in place, basically to help attract funding so that donors and others funding agencies will have trust in where they are putting their money into, based on the credibility of the personalities of the members of the NIMR advisory board.

    ‘’We hope to expand on human capacity, infrastructure and researched based programmes. With focus on human health problems, public health and another focus is to attract joint research grant with dragnet of providing answers to health challenges in West coast and internationally. I call on all and sundry to join NIMR to achieve these laudable giant strides.”

    Idris said the plan was to grow the institute to get to where it should be because a nation without a proper research capability could make a progressive solution-based advances.

  • NIMR inaugurates advisory board on research funding

    The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, has inaugurated a Research Advisory Board.

    The 14-member, whose tenure is five years, are Prof of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Ighovwerha Ofotokun, Prof Alash’le Abimiku of the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, former NIMR Director-General (DG), Prof Oni Emmanuel;  Professor of Paediatrics and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Calabar, Prof Martin Madu Meremikwu; Prof of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, UCL Institute for Global Health; and National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) DG, Dr Sani Aliyu.

    Others are Director at the Postgraduate Institute for Medical research (MRAT), College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof Ayo Oduola; Consultant Obstetrics/Gynaecology and Director, Centre for Population and Reproductive Health, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof Oladosu Ojenegbede; Professor of Psychiatry and Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, Neuroscience, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, University of Ibadan, Prof Oyewusi Gureje, former Gombe State Governor, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje, and Lagos State Health Commis-sioner, Dr Olajide Idris.

    National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Executive Director, Dr Echezona Edozie Ezeanolue; West African College of Surgeons Fellow, American College of Surgeons and International College of Surgeons, Prof Stanley N.C. Anyanwu; and a community Development and Innovations Diffusion Specialist, Prof Mohammed Shittu.

    According to the NIMR DG, Prof Babatunde Salako, the collection of these experts is principal to assisting NIMR to attract patronage, from individuals or organisations  they are credible people who have made their marks in the profession.

    Salako said: “They are chosen with a clear and simple mandate which is to assist the institute as a research organisation attracts funding from both local and international communities, so it can develop its ability and capability to deliver on its mandate on improving on the healthcare system in Nigeria. We have some countries that have also done like this.”

    Salako said: “The number of those on the Board is representative that we do not need too many people but quality hands that can move the plow and deliver on record time. It is guaranteed that they will use their network, contacts, and connections in Nigerian and around the world to assist the institute to attract grants.”

    Idigbe said: “Having realised that there is no way we, as researchers, could obtain results that could impact life of masses without serious funding. The advisory board was put in place, basically to help attract funding so that donors and others funding agencies will have trust in where they are putting their money into, based on the credibility of the personalities of the members of the NIMR advisory board.

    ‘’We hope to expand on human capacity, infrastructure and researched based programmes. With focus on human health problems, public health and another focus is to attract joint research grant with dragnet of providing answers to health challenges in West coast and internationally. I call on all and sundry to join NIMR to achieve these laudable giant strides.”

    Idris said the plan was to grow the institute to get to where it should be because a nation without a proper research capability could make a progressive solution-based advances.

  • Lack of funds, culture frustrates research in Nigeria

    THE Vice Chancellor of Gombe State University, Professor Umar Ibrahim has identified lack of funding as the bane of research in Nigeria.

    He said this because of the country’s inability to develop research tradition and know the importance of research.

    Professor Ibrahim spoke at the official opening of a three week training and research programme organized by the Teaching and Research in Natural Sciences for Development in Africa (TReND) in collaboration with Cambridge University.

    He3 said, “One major problem of research in the country is to develop the tradition, to know the importance of research. People do not value research.

    “We want to develop this country, we want good products, we want our economy to improve, but we don’t fund research. So I think it is very important that we start funding research in this country. Recently a sister African country earmarked about $45m. But it is not only money alone. We need to develop the mindset and culture.”

    Buttressing his view, Isa Marte Hussaini, a Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Maiduguri said poor funding by government and the private sector frustrate research in the country.

    “Government is not allocating enough funds to research. TETFund is trying, but not doing enough. They need to inject more funds into research.

    “Private sector, especially the pharmaceutical industry is not doing anything on research. No single pharmaceutical company in Nigeria is doing research. We need to empower the younger ones to be better researchers in future,” he said.