By Rukayat Adeyemi
Lagos – Prof. Lateef Sanni, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB) says dedicating independent power source to research institutions is key to innovation and technological development in Nigeria.
Sanni, represented by Mr Bernard Siwoku, a business development expert, said this on Thursday at the 4th International Conference on Science and Technology organised by the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu.
The conference is tagged: Innovation for Sustainable Development: The Technology Challenges.
Sanni said that energy was key to innovation and technology development and urged government to design energy in such a way that research oriented institutions are connected to an independent or alternative power source.
“”Institutions that are research oriented should have their own independent or alternative power source other than relying on the national grid which is not enough for the whole populace,” he said.
According to him, uninterrupted power supply is a major infrastructure that must be addressed and put in place to achieve advance technology, innovation and result oriented research.
He added that with a constant power supply more local and foreign researchers and research institutions would be attracted to the country to embark on researches.
Sanni also urged the federal government to put in place a policy that would ensure that the importation of research related equipment and tools attracyed no tariff.
““Such policies were to give researchers easy access to materials and tools to work with,’’ he said.
Sanni noted that researchers also need some funding and must be assisted by the government and private industries to have innovative output that industry could utilise. (NAN)