Expert Seeks Establishment of More Research Institutes
A Niger Delta-based expert, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has stressed the need for the establishment of more research institutions to tackle the avalanche of socio- economic problems confronting the nation.
He said this on the sidelines of a one-day workshop on policy and strategy for sustainable economic growth.
According to him, the country needed more research institutes than new universities being established by both private, federal and state governments.
Onuesoke, argued that research institutes were critical enabler to economic growth and development with its relevance cutting across the policy process.
He said, the role of research institute, as development driver, could not be overemphasised, arguing that the growing number of universities was not what was needed now to tackle the reality of underdevelopment currently confronting the country.
Onuesoke, who is the Chairman of DAS Energy Services Limited, further said, despite having bulk of universities across the nation, “the apparent gap and weakness in our social-economic life are left wide open and this is due to absence of research institutes that would have been able to proffer solutions to fill these gaps.”
He called on government, stakeholders and lawmakers to begin to look at the plethora of benefits that would come from having more research institutes than new universities.
“It has become imperative for us as a nation to set our gaze on the future while we confront the myriads of problems bedeviling us currently.
“Also if Nigeria must take her place in the global scheme of things as a world player, all hand must be on deck to encourage research that would proffer first hand solution to world problems like epidemic and diseases, space technology, agriculture and information technology.
“This can only be achieved with a complete presence of a clear cut philosophy of national development, a philosophy which should spell out the direction in which Nigeria wants to channel its development efforts”, he stated.