The Lagos State University (LASU) on Tuesday, 3rd September announced the institution of a research grant fund to support academic research.
LASU Vice-Chancellor, Olanrewaju Fagbohun disclosed that the university was targeting to raise up to N1 billion for that.
He was speaking at the opening of maiden edition of the LASU Research Fair held on the university’s main campus in Ojo, Lagos.
The theme of the Fair is “Driving National Development through Research and Innovation”.
Mr Fagbohun, a law professor, said the fund will be an extra motivation for the research enterprise in the university.
He called for partnership with both the public and private sectors in ensuring that researches get the needed support.
“We commit to working with the private sector to develop innovative solutions that will have direct, practical and immediate impact on the challenges of Lagos State in particular and Nigeria in general,” he added.
Later, in his keynote speech, Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola proposed a multiple approach to funding research and innovations.
Mr Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, told the audience that even government engages some firms to conduct research towards informed decision making.
Amongst such research funding mediums is the endowment of professorial chairs, which he pledged to do to support LASU.
He also identified the donation of endowment funds to universities through individuals and organisations, the existing intervention through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in funding research and the amendments of legislations that could also increase access to research funding.
He equally commended the existing the LASU Alumni Endowment Fund, which he believed could also be used in raising funding for research.
He called for further engagement with the alumni of LASU to see ways in which they could provide strategic interventions.
The former Lagos State governor also emphasised on the importance of publishing the findings of researches after attracting funding to engender development and bring about societal changes.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu was represented by his Special Adviser on Education, Tokunbo Wahab who said that the Lagos State Government was willing to support “solution-based” research as these would aid development in the state.
He noted that the successful implementation of government’s plans and policies can only be achieved in a knowledge-based economy “driven by well focused, coordinated and active research”.
EduCeleb.com learnt that while the research fair lasts this week, papers would be presented by 242 researchers who either individually or jointly submitted papers on various subjects of interest related to the theme.
