The scientists, who participated in a three-day 2023 College of Natural & Applied Sciences Conference held at the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, said a lack of good legislation and government policy for providing an enabling environment for advanced research was one of the problems militating against research innovations and sustainable economic advancement in Nigeria.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the three days conference.
The communiqué, which was made available to our correspondent on Monday, was signed by the Chairman, Conference Organising Committee, Dr Olutosin Ilesanmi.
In the communiqué, the conference also decried the non-availability of research grants for researchers at private universities in Nigeria.
The conference, however, noted that “Nigerian parliaments need to come up with legislation that will promote scientific research and funding, and private university researchers should focus on grants from industries and international organisations.”
The communique read, “Government policies should be made to encourage the growth of the bio-economic sector through public-private partnerships”, calling for the “establishment of specialised advanced laboratories by both private and public universities”
It also suggests that cybersecurity researchers should enhance their knowledge to keep up with technological advancements. Academics need to prioritise research and personal integrity, while scientists should conduct responsible research with integrity, as society places its trust and safety in science.
“There is the need for interdisciplinary thinking when planning, conducting and analysing research results and findings. Research and innovation should not be confined inside the laboratory but should be channelled to solve problems,” it added
In her remarks, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Omolola Irinoye, noted that the university was committed to encouraging innovative strategies and novel research in science and technology because they were the tools for transforming the nation.
Similarly, the Dean of CONAS of the institution, Dr. Adetoyosi Daniels, implored the participants not to limit the results of “our research and experiments to publication and for obtaining promotions but to harness our cutting edge research towards the development of humanity and our great nation.”
