A renowned Oil and Gas expert and the Agadaigho 1 of Igbide, Isoko Kingdom, Chief Franklin Igbodo, has called on Nigerian universities to braceup on the existing gap in research development in order to compete favourable with universities around the world.
He enthused that bracing up with new challenges in terms of research will create a huge business opportunity that can be tap from amongst universities in the Nation especially universities in the south south region of the country.
Speaking to journalists at the sideline of a public lecture in Port Harcourt on the Topic: “The Town And Gown In Sync: Transforming The Nation”, Dr.Igbodo, who described the topic of the public lecture as very apt and timely, said universities in Nigeria must go beyond the usual routine acedemic excercises and delve into strategic and systematic scheme of research which outcomes and deliverables could be readily adapted and applied in commerce, industry and social investments. These could also be structured to involve and engage undergraduates and catchment populations.
“I think that universities in Nigeria must leverage on viable research results and products developed by both astute senior scholars, and students as well, synergizing and creating feaaible partnerships with active players in the market”
Chief Igbodo, the Business and Technical Advisor to the Board Chairman of Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Company (NLNG) Limited, further said in as much as there is an existing tertiary education system and elaborate resarch structure, the system cannot be easily dismissed; rather, the system and their research frameworks and outcomes must be integrated to provide sustainable solutions to industry and commerce. And students at all levels must be structured in to form a base for raising versatile technocrats, employees and entrepreneurs.
“I think the universities should be able to tell their graduands, ‘we are going to call you back to provide some experience that is marketable to the outside world’; and with that, the university makes money and the student also makes money as well”, he said.
He further explained that universities in Nigeria can also strike lucrative partnerships with students to position and sell the results and products of their research projects and leverage them for profitable commercial and industrial ventures.
On the question of most Oil and Gas companies in Nigeria especially in the Niger Delta rarely connecting and co-operating well with their host communities, Chief Igbodo asserted that the universities in Nigeria have to create a system of marketing themselves, and because most of the raw materials needed for research are within our regions.
The the solution ” is to look at the problems and provide solutions.”
