By Patience Aliyu

The University of Jos has organised its maiden annual research day to honour outstanding researchers within the institution.

Speaking at the event in Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, the Vice Chancellor of the university, said that the event was organised by the Research and Development (R&D) Office of the institution.

The vice chancellor was represented at the event by Prof. Aboi Madaki, the Provost, Collage of Heath Sciences of the institution.

Ishaya, who noted that quality research is at the core of the institution, promised to support and fund result-driven research in various fields.

He said that the institution would also use the event to honour some of its members of staff for promoting quality research.

Similarly, Mr Samuel Godongs, the Director General, Research, Planning and Documentation, Plateau Government House, urged government to adequately fund research in the country.

“Advanced countries spend between six to eight per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on research and development.

“But those in the lower pockets of developing countries spend less than one to two per cent which is recommended.

“But in Nigeria, we spend 0.2 per cent which is far below even countries like South Africa, which has increased its research and development steadily.

“So, we do have a long way to go, and as we are doing that, we have to look at the different kinds of research that we have.

“A lot of the research that we do is within the bracket of basic research; that is research for just fundamental or basic knowledge that very often end up in books that gather dust on the shelves,” he lamented.

Also speaking, Dr Salihu Bakari, the Director of Research and Centre of Excellence, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), said that research innovation is a key instrument for human transformation.

He, however, insisted that research in the university, which requires huge financial support, should be geared towards solving societal problem.

“The fundamental role of research and innovation as an instrument of human transformation and structural development requires huge financial and intellectual investment to realise the objectives.

“However, research in our universities should be innovative and geared towards problem-solving; there must be deliberate efforts to ensure synergy between academia, industry and government to achieve the fundamental goals of research and innovation.

“No nation can rise above the quality of its education, and by extension, its capacity for research and innovation.

“Innovative research capacity is directly related to human capital development, global competitiveness and national development.

“Hence, funding research and innovation should inevitably be a priority of any nation that desires to achieve its developmental aspirations,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that among those honoured during the event were Prof. Hwayward Mufuwai, the former vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Patricia Lar, the Acting vice chancellor, Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja.

Other awardees included Prof. Chris Piwuna, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Dung Sha, the former Director of Research, National Institute for Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, among others. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Editted by Abdulfatai Beki/Polycarp Auta

By Tayo Ikujuni

Professor of Educational management at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, Akinrotimi Oyetakin, has called on government to consider increasing educational budgetary allocation to 20 per cent.

Oyetakin made the call while delivering the institution’s 42nd inaugural lecture titled ‘Cost Explosion and Expenditure Implosion of Tertiary Education: Equilibrium Heresies in Motion’.

The education management expert equally stressed the urgent need for legislative action to rescue Nigeria’s underfunded educational sector.

Oyetakin, while seeking the creation of a dedicated emergency relief agency for the sector, urged the Federal Ministry of Education to spearhead a coalition with other stakeholders to rescue the sector.

He emphasised that a legislative bill should be sponsored at both federal and state levels to increase annual budgetary allocations to education.

According to him, it is important to remove parasites plaguing the educational sector.

The education management expert advocated for “an urgent need to establish the Education Emergency Relief Agency of Nigeria (EERAN)”.

“The agency shall carry out functions on emergency management of educational institutions in Nigeria, which is currently facing fierce terrorism and natural attacks.

“The vote given to education, though, seems to be increasing, but it does not measure up to the cost.

“The cost is flying, the expenditure is also flying, but the height is quite at equilibrium, and that is erosive over the years.

“I have recommended that to curb this erosive, which I tag a super parasite and super viruses, that have affected the educational system, government at all levels must increase budget provision to the educational sector.

“If government increases the budget allocation to at least over 20 per cent on an annual basis, it will cushion the problem we are experiencing today.

“Government is spending money. It is not sufficient enough to back up the financial requirement of higher education.

“If this is done by the government based on all the recommendations I have provided, I believe this super parasite and super viruses shall be solved, and we shall have good services delivering tertiary education in Nigeria,” Oyetakin stated.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the Institution, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, applauded the lecturer for his scholarly contributions to the university.

Ige stressed that “the inaugural lecture is a significant academic engagement that reinforces the university’s commitment to scholarly research”.

“This lecture contributes to sustaining a vibrant academic culture within our community.

“The lecturer’s scholarly contributions have greatly enriched the university. He has successfully supervised 17 postgraduate students, including four Ph.D candidates,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannnews.ng)

Edited by Ayodeji Alabi

By Aisha Gambo

The Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) project, an initiative of the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, has taken its ‘Back-To-School campaign’ to Unguwan Shanu, Kaduna North LGA.

The campaign, which was inaugurated on Tuesday, is aimed at sensitising communities to ROOSC project, while encouraging parents and caregivers to return their children back to school.

The campaign team, which included stakeholders from the ministry, development partners, religious organisations and the media, began with a courtesy visit to the Village Head of Unguwan Shanu.

While speaking, the Project Coordinator, Project Monitoring Unit, ROOSC, Mr Ezra Angai, stated that it was an intervention designed to make quality education inclusive and accessible to all children.

“As part of the project, 102 new schools will be built and 170 existing ones including learning centres will be renovated.

“A key feature of the campaign is the Catch-Up Programme, a nine-month remedial education initiative aimed at children who have never been enrolled or who dropped out of school.

“It offers foundational literacy, numeracy, and life skills to help reintegrate these children into mainstream education or vocational training,” he said.

Similarly, the ROOSC Project Director, Save the Children, Mbursa Emmanuel, commended the community leaders for their support, saying that they were key to ensuring the success of the project.

Emmanuel stated that livelihood support for families, a key barrier to school attendance, was not covered under the project, adding that discussions were ongoing with the government and partners to explore solutions.

Kabir Lawal, Director of the Social Mobilisation Department at the State Universal Basic Education Board, said that the campaign would be a recurring activity embedded in the state’s education budget.

“In our annual budget, we have made provisions for this type of campaign, and it will now be conducted at the beginning of every academic session.

“Beyond this, we are training School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) and deploying Social Mobilisation Officers to intensify grassroots advocacy across communities,” Lawal said.

In his address, the Village Head of Unguwan Shanu, Alhaji Nura Ibrahim, commended government’s efforts in ensuring that out-of-school children were returned back to school.

He also urged the government to take more decisive actions against poverty, saying that it was one of the root causes of educational exclusion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ROOSC project was initiated by the Kaduna State Government under its Ministry of Education, with Save the Children and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as the implementing partners.

The project targets 200,000 out-of-school children while supporting the teachers and learners with 500,000 teaching and learning materials. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Bashir Rabe Mani