Yemisi Izuora
The Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, FIIRO, has called for a paradigm shift from a consuming nation to a producing nation through collaborative efforts between research institutes and universities.
Prof. Gloria Elemo, the Director-General of FIIRO, made the call on Thursday while delivering a lecture titled: “Fostering collaboration between research institutes and universities towards commercialising research products.”
The event was organised by the Faculty of Science, Adeyinka Adebayo Federal University in Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Elemo said: “Nigeria is currently an importing nation rather than being an exporting nation; efforts must be geared toward reversing this situation.
“In achieving this, no nation has it all; there must be harmonisation of our diverse cultures, professions and personalities through collaboration to improve our economy.
“A conscious efforts at creating an enabling environment for investing in research at all levels must be encouraged to develop our economy.
“The development of our small, medium and large-scale businesses is achievable through commercialising our research products.”
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Adeyinka Adebayo University, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, said for a nation to develop effectively technologically, research would have to play a vital role.
Soremekun said he believed that between now and the future, the two institutions – FIIRO and AAU Oye-Ekiti – would have a productive relationship aimed at developing the economy.
The Dean, Faculty of Science of the university, Prof. Olayide Lawal, said entrepreneurship was important to transforming the nation from a consumer nation to a producer nation.
Lawal assured that the energy that the institution intended to create with its collaboration with FIIRO would assist in propelling members of staff and students toward realising its goals.
The FIIRO director-general signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Adeyinka Adebayo Federal University on research to foster the nation’s economic
development.