INVENTIONS AND INNOVATIONS BY NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES ARE IN THE VALLEY OF DEATH—   PRO-CHANCELLOR ELIZADE UNIVERSITY, BAMIRO

Pro-Chancellor of Elizade University, and former Vice-Chancellor of Nigeria Premier University, the University of Ibadan, Emeritus Professor Olufemi Bamiro, has said Companies and Industries in Nigeria will remain unable to succeed until the nation solves its electricity problems.

Delivering a keynote address at the 1^st International Conference of the Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Elizade University, he said the Nigeria socio-economic environment has programmed industries to continually fail and collapse. He bemoaned the demise of international conglomerates which could not survive the harsh reality of the nation’s industrial climate, noting that it is even worse for local, small and medium manufacturing industries.

While addressing the theme of the Conference “Advancement of Technological Innovations for Engineering Developments and Environmental Provisions for Sustainable Living” he said many of the research efforts, inventions, innovations and discoveries by Nigerian Universities are in the “valley of death” due to a disconnect between the Triple Helix; government, industry and the academia. He said while the problem of Nigeria remains basically, that of leadership, he charged Ivory Towers to metamorphose into “Service Intensive Institutions”, insisting that Universities in Nigeria must become “Developmental Institutions” in order to bring about holistic breakthrough.

The University don also spoke against the current trend where some developed countries are making incursion into Africa under the guise of industrialization, particularly into Nigeria, with a warning that the intention is to grab the rich and fertile soil of Africa because they are increasingly facing the challenge of inadequate land resource back in their homeland.

The Acting Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Professor Sunday Babatunde Adeyemo urged the academia to commit to deepening inquiry and collaboration that will drive sustainable development, while asking participants to make this first edition of the Conference a lasting legacy that fosters continual innovation, global partnerships, and academic excellence.

Guest Speaker, Professor Raji Atanda of Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa who spoke on the “Intelligence Layer, AI as the Engine for Scalable Renewable Energy Access” to decentralize power generation, and distribution to the local government level for access to latest technology at cheaper rate to achieve sustainable power supply arguing that that the practice of national grid is a ruse.

A Lead Speaker, Professor Vincent Balogun, Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Edo State University said innovations, particularly indigenous is not an option but a necessity for national survival and prosperity. 

Another Lead Speaker, Engineer Ademola Agoro, who is the Managing Director of Protogy Global Services, said the problem confronting the popularization of CNG vehicles in Nigeria is lack of infrastructural support adding that Nigerian Universities by now ought to have flooded the Nigerian market with pocket friendly electric cars and tricyles, given the avalanche of technological innovations and ideas available in the public domain particularly in the field of Engineering.

The Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Elizade University, Professor Dare Adetan said the challenges confronting our planet which include climate change, resource scarcity, urbanization, and technological disruption demand not just knowledge, but wisdom and therefore require the academia to innovation that uplifts, technology that restores, and engineering that sustains.

“Let us continue to advance the frontiers of technological innovations not merely for development’s sake, but for the enduring sustainability of our planet and the prosperity of all who inhabit it.” Adetan added.

The Chairman Local Organising Committee of the Conference who also is the Vice-Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Elizade University, Dr Olugbenga Ogidan, said the Conference provides unique platform for sharing cutting-edge research and results and ideas, fostering collaboration and driving solutions that will propel engineering development while addressing urgent environmental challenges.

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