A don, Prof. Solomon Akinboye, on Wednesday said that postgraduates’ inability to write robust research proposals was a setback to research and development in Nigeria.
Akinboye, the Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Lagos, made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
According to him, aside from funding, one of a major setback for attracting stakeholders from within and outside the country is the postgraduates’ inability to write detailed and meaningful research proposals.
“I think the challenges of research and development in our university system is multifaceted.
“On the part of the postgraduates, they seldom avail themselves the opportunity of getting research funds by not doing the first thing first.
“So, many of them still lack the skill of writing very good and robust research proposals that can attract funding from within and outside the country.
“This is majorly what is lacking on the part of students,’’ the university teacher said.
According to the professor, there is the need for university authorities to consider organising research proposal workshops for postgraduate students.
Akinboye said that such workshops should be organised in collaboration with those with expertise on proposal writing that could attract research grant.
He suggested that such workshops should hold annually.
The professor said that there was no way Nigeria could move forward without research and development, in terms of actualising all that had been put in place to reposition the country.
He said that many advanced countries of the world had gone very far in terms of achievement as a result of research.
“So, we must ensure that we put our resources together to enhance productivity.
“We must also device a means of ensuring that the bureaucratic bottlenecks that slow down the process are reduced to the barest minimum.
“In other words, let’s find a way of fast tracking the process,’’ the don said.
Akinboye urged the government to adequately fund research to enable postgraduate students to engage in serious research works.
He said that without funding, no institution would grow.
“Funding is very essential in promoting research the world over. It is critical; it is of paramount necessity and indispensable.
“It is only when this is available for postgraduate students that they can engage in serious research. And any serious research requires serious funding.
“So, sometimes it becomes difficult for our postgraduate students to get the necessary financial support for their research,’’ Akinboye said.
The don, however, said that research grants would not come that easy because it was limited.
He said that there was the need for government to pay more attention in this area by investing hugely in the various universities.
Akinboye urged the universities to seek means of generating funds internally for the purpose of encouraging research and development. (NAN)
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