Increase Investment in Research to Address Economic Challenges, Experts Urge FG

 Omolabake Fasogbon

Experts have underscored the importance of research to address myriads of challenges confronting the Nigerian economy.

They identified data as being crucial to planning and directing key policies targeted at development. 

Speaking at a workshop organised by ‘Research Initiative’, with the theme, ‘ Research  Process and Collaboration for Impact’,  Former Dean of Management Science, Babcock University, Prof. Enyi Patrick Enyi, observed that most research exercises have not been specific and detailed enough, thus affecting data accuracy. 

He maintained that research priorities must be right and solution driven to address identified challenges, while calling on researchers to prioritise societal pressing needs. 

On the importance of research, he said, “The global and immediate societies have multiple areas of needs spanning from the sustainability of lives to ecology and the need to advance our civilisation in the face of evolution trends and threats.”

He added, “The society appreciates more solutions bothering on its most crucial needs at any time. These may be in terms of unemployment, galloping inflation, construction of access roads, provision of foods and healthcare facilities.

“Research efforts will be most appreciated where they are needed most- and that is our immediate society.”

Furthermore, President of Research Initiative, Prof Godwin Oyedokun, enlightened academics and researchers on writing techniques that would yield desired result, stressing that documentation of research is painstaking as the research itself. 

He said, “Academic writing must be clear, coherent, objective, structured, formal and well referenced, amongst others. This will ensure that the output contribute meaningfully to academic fields, and by extension, development.”