Research needs more collaboration and Commercialization

The first collaborative research initiative held at the Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara state, from the 9^th – 13^th May, 2015. The theme of the conference was Building Research Capacity in Nigerian universities and other research Institutions. The opening ceremony was chaired by Dr Killian C. Ikwuakor, the Director Centre for Sponsored Project Convener/Chairman LOC. 

The Collaborative Research Initiative Conference is a forum for representatives from academia, government, industry and other interested parties to discuss the importance of collaborative research in nurturing future research leader and more importantly finding solutions to the developmental challenges facing Nigeria.

Dr Killian during the conference said research needs to be commercialized in order be taking serious and important to create solutions to problems facing the country, saying research and innovation are the bedrock of the successful development of countries all over the world and Nigeria like the rest of the world , faced with daunting and complex societal and developmental challenges will only create solutions to its problem if only we are prepared to embrace collaborative research and advancing it, as we also look forward to commercializing every aspect of our research.

The key benefit of the 1^st collaborative research initiative conference is to promote collaborative research, support sustainable research linkages among universities, research institutions, government and industries. To strengthen the capacity of research institution to conduct and deliver more applied research, encourage partnership for effective collaboration and funding, recommend world-class and uniform research standards for Nigerian universities and other research constitution, create a directory of experts and research supervisory/advisors accessible to prospective researchers and postgraduate students, working towards achieving world-class research-oriented postgraduate education for training and nurturing future research leaders and finally promote under-graduate research programmes in social entrepreneurship. 

During an interview with the Coordinator, Centre for Undergraduate Research Programme (CURP) Dr Grace T. Abolaji, who said that apart from the collaborative research, the university has shown love to its community by helping to improve the level of agriculture within its environs, although they had already trained the women in the community  on how to improve their lives through various agricultural vocational training and the institution is not stopping at that, but also working to create a suitable environment and platform, to train and educate the students on the importance of research and agriculture, and ways to create job opportunity and wealth.

She futher noted that with more collaborative research the country is going to experience a huge success in agriculture and other sector, as research will be taken with all seriousness. She also said that family farms should be encouraged and farmers should also make use of the irrigation system created.

The stakeholders at the end of the conference resulted, that research should not be generalized but should be specific, and should collaborate with local authorities. It was further said that definite research policy should be created to regulate all it activities, which also includes funding that needs to be spelt out on percentages that should be allocated to research.

The stakeholders also agreed that research needs constant light. Lack of constant electricity has been attributed to the failures in the research system. The issue of effective electricity needs to be addressed.