The Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Sagir Adamu-Abbas, has commended the Federal Government for introducing a joint academia and industry research programme that will assist to develop the country.
Adamu-Abbas gave the commendation during an interactive session between the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Ogbonnaya Onu and members of the university community.
He said that the university was ever ready for the programme.
“The programme is a good policy that will assist to launch Nigeria into the comity of developed nations if implemented effectively and with adequate funding.
“Nigeria had all it takes to prosper and grow, but poor funding and lack of political will and commitment from various stakeholders have been the major problems that usually crippled well conceptualised policies and programmes,” he said.
The VC, who said that BUK had already established many reasearch centres, pointed out that adequate funding would assist to realise the set objective.
He said the new policy would serve as an avenue for collaboration between the academia, industry and the government.
“That was what obtained in many countries that are now developed,” he said.
In his remarks, the minister said that President Muhammadu Buhari was greatly concerned about the future development of the country.
According to him, that is why the government adopted the National Science, Technology and Innovation Roadmap (NSTIR 2017-2030), which is aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s economic growth and sustainable development.
“For a country to prosper, we must come together and work in close collaboration with the universities, research institutions and industry,” he said.
During the session, the Vice Chancellors of Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Prof. Shehu Alhaji Musa and his counterpart of Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Prof. Mukhtar Atiku-Kurawa, described the initiative as a welcome development.
They stressed the need for supporting that initiative by all and sundry for the development of the country.