LAGOS – Prof. Kayode Makinde, the Vice-Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo in Ogun State on Wednesday called on governments at all levels to ensure adequate funding of qualitative academic research in the country.
Makinde made the call in Lagos at the public presentation of an essay, “Law and its Leeway”, written in honour of Emeritus Professor, Oluwole Agbede.
Agbede, a former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, and President of the Nigerian Society of International law, was conferred with the title of Emeritus Professor in 2011.
The VC underscored the importance of celebrating milestones and achievements in the country, adding that Agbede remained an ambassador of excellence in the field of academics.
He noted that the United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) had recommended that 25 percent of national budgets be allocated to research.
This, he noted, would encourage creativity.
“Achievements are the end products of excellence combined with brain; and we are all here to celebrate excellence.
“It is more worthy to celebrate milestones and achievements of scholars who have laboured to impact the society through quality research, and I must urge that adequate funding be dedicated to qualitative research.
“Trees do not bear fruit; they bear the branches on which the fruits grow. Issac Oluwole Agbede is a scholar, and his impact in the society has such an enduring effect that its ripples can be seen.
Makinde extolled the academic virtues of Agbede and urged law students to imbibe the culture of legal research so that their legacies could be replicated by upcoming generation.
The book reviewer, Mrs Olufunke Adekoya, (SAN) likened a good book to a good food and commended the scholarly efforts of all those who contributed to the essay.
She recommended the essay for various university libraries across the country, adding that its rich contents would help improve legal studies.
The book which has 10 chapters contains essays on various aspects of law such as legal practice and procedure, international law, among others.
In his remarks, the emeritus professor urged law students to devote adequate time to learning and research, saying “the only substitute to hard work is harder work.’’
Dignitaries at the occasion included former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who was represented by Mr Dayo Ekundayo, immediate past Commissioner for Information in Ekiti and Justice Efreda Williams of the Court of Appeal.
Others are the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufumilayo Atilade, represented by Justice Opeyemi Oke, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, and Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) represented by Mr Sosan Fagbamise. (NAN)
