LAGOS – Some stakeholders in the Information Communication Technology sector have called on the Federal Government to formulate policies that would change the future direction of research in Nigeria.
They told newsmen in Lagos that research findings had the capability of promoting the growth of indigenous technology if tailored to meet the needs of the society.
Mr. Jide Awe, Media and Events Manager, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), appealed to universities and research institutes to tailor their researches to the needs of the industry.
Awe noted that most research works end up in libraries without being translated to the practical needs of society.
“It is important for stakeholders in research institutes to connect the needs of the society with the researches they conduct.
“It is no use doing researches if we cannot apply its findings to solving our socio-economic challenges.
“The Federal Government should formulate policies that would change the future and direction of researches in Nigeria,’’ Awe said.
The technologist, who noted that it was incumbent on the government to fund researches, urged the private sector not to be involved in researches which value adds nothing to societal growth.
In a similar vein, Dr Philip Ujomu, an expert in security studies at the University of Benin, said that indigenous technology was needed to translate research findings to the needs of the industry.
Ujomu said that research findings had the potential of changing the face of the world.
The don, however, said that some Nigerian-based researches could not do much because they were influenced by western interests.
“Researches done by Nigerians are driven by western interests since the West provides the funds, infrastructure, textbooks and laboratories used for its conduct.
“Most of our universities are weak in terms of providing the parameters for high yield research such as manpower, funds and quality teachers.
“Nigeria needs to have a way of complementing its indigenous knowledge base with the adapted western orientation,’’ he said.
Ujomu said that Nigeria should thread cautiously on towing western ways of doing research if it was going to make progress in the growth of indigenous technology.
“The more Nigeria learns from the West, the less it is able to become autonomous,’’ he said.
The don, who noted that researches were poorly funded, called on the government to fund them and formulate policies that would connect them with the needs of the industry.