The World Bank has designated 10
Nigerian Universities as African Centres of Excellence for outstanding
research programmes in key areas while each of the centres is to receive
a total grant of N12.8billion to run approved research projects between
2014 and 2017.
The Minister of Education, Barrister
Nyesom Wike, who disclosed this in Jos at the 2014 Annual Conference of
West Africa Research Innovations Management Association (WARIMA), said
there is a disconnection between research findings and their
applications by relevant productive entities outside Nigerian
Universities.
According to him, for any meaningful
development or progress, there must be a fundamental marriage between
research institutions and industries, adding that the linkage in this
regard propelled the development and success story of the Asian Tiger. Continue....
The minister, who was represented by his
Special Assistant, Mr Lambert Oparah, said the administration was
determined to encourage research and innovations in Nigerian tertiary
institutions, adding that that World Bank supported science and
technology education and recently granted 11 higher institutions between
$4 million and $5.5 million in various research areas.
“The research areas include food
security, vaccine and infectious diseases, renewable energy, software
engineering, environment etc. Through the high impact fund, well over
N109 billion has been provided in phases to support tertiary
institutions in enhancing their capacity as centres of excellence,” he
said.
In his welcome address, the Vice
Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Hayward Babale Mafuyai,
appealed to government at all levels to ensure sustained funding until
the physical infrastructure, instructional and research materials and
equipment deficits are eliminated so that tertiary institutions can
deliver on proffering solutions to socio-economic problems confronting
the nation.
Professor Mafuyai said the University of
Jos was recently bestowed with the award of African Centre of
Excellence in Phytomedicine Research and Development, adding that the
grant of USD 8million will be provided for the university as a result of
the award.
Source: Tribune Newspaper
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