VC advocates industry, academia collaboration for sustainable development

The Vice chancellor, Igbinedion University (IUO), Okada, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, has called for collaboration between academia and industry for sustainable development.

He said such collaboration is a critical component of efficient national innovation strategy, knowledge exchange, skill development, promotion of start-ups and spin offs through eco innovation.

Prof Ezemonye said this in Okada, Edo state, during the institution’s Research Day and Conference with theme, “Greening Academia/ Industry Research Synergy: To Promote Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria.”

He said the unemployment rate in the country has been largely attributed to the mismatch between graduate skills and the industry skills required for performance in the modern workplace.

He said the university has played a pioneering role in greening the academia-industry synergy aimed at mainstreaming Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) into higher education.

“So, the potency of academia and industry engagement is its ability to duly address employment and unemployment rate which have largely been attributed to the mismatch between graduates skills and Industry skills required for performance,” he said.

The guest lecturer, Dr Dan’Azumi Ibrahim, Director General National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, noted that academia and industry research synergy provides a pragmatic framework for the infusion of business partnership and enterprise into research and innovation.

The chairman of the occasion, a former Vice-chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, commended the institution for providing a platform to generate knowledge and idea in solving national problem.