Education
‘Nigerian Varsities Should Emulate OAU In Research Publication’
A don, Dr Olufemi Ajayi,
last Thursday urged other universities in the country to emulate the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, in publishing their researches in international journals.
Ajayi, the Vice Dean, Faculty of Agriculture of the OAU, also urged Nigeria universities to invest in infrastructure and information technology for advancement.
He gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Ile-Ife.
The dean was reacting to the current rating of the OAU as the best in Nigeria and 8th in Africa.
The rating was made in the latest webometric ranking by the Cybermetric Lab of Spain, a world renowned research council.
Ajayi said that the university was able to be adjudged so because it published its researches in international journals.
Ajayi said that lecturers in OAU collaborated to publish quality researches in the journals.
The lecturer said that OAU had the required feasibility, infrastructure and modern information technology to enhance the publication of researches of international standards.
”OAU earned the award through hard work from lecturers who collaborated and published grand rating researches of international standards.
“As one of the first generation universities in the country, OAU has infrastructure and ICT facilities accessible to internal and external researchers,” he said.
Another don, Dr Ismail Raji of the Department of Education Management, University of Ibadan, said that it was the volume of publications from OAU lecturers that earned the institution the award.
“OAU, as one of the first generation universities, has experienced hands, large number of professors, lecturers and PhD graduates with reputable record,” Raji said.
Dr Oluwatoki Jamiu, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History and International Relations, Lagos State University, however, said that the OAU ought to have achieved more than that.
“We should be talking of OAU, as a first generation university in Nigeria, being among the first 20 in the world and not just eight in Africa.
“With the calibre of lecturers and students produced over the years in OAU, I believe the university deserves to be ranked higher than that.
“This shows the need to inject more resources to the education sector to improve standards in Nigerian universities,” he said.
He added that most of the first generation universities in Nigeria ought to be among the first 20 in the world in view of the calibre of human and material resources in the country.
A professor of Highway Engineering at the Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Emmanuel Osilemme Ekwulo, has identified poor designs, inadequate materials, insufficient testing, and lack of accountability as major obstacles to the success of highway construction projects in the country.
Ekwulo made this remark in Port Harcourt last Wednesday during the 128th inaugural lecture series of the university, where he presented a lecture titled “Removing Roadblocks: Rebuilding a Foundation for Reliable Highway Pavement Infrastructure.”
The university don lamented the consistent premature failures of road construction projects nationwide, despite huge investments by the government at all levels, attributing the problem to neglected basics and systemic principles in the industry.
According to him, rebuilding the foundation technically, institutionally, and ethically is crucial to building strong and lasting pavements.
Ekwulo emphasized the need for political will, professional integrity, and commitment to engineering excellence to overcome the challenges.
“The metaphoric roadblocks are those challenges causing premature failures,” Ekwulo said, adding that identifying and addressing these roadblocks is key to rebuilding the nation’s highways.
He recommended that institutions involved in road design and construction adopt a mechanistic-empirical design approach, and develop a comprehensive framework for implementing the Nigerian Imperial and Mechanistic Pavement Design System (NEMPADS) approach.
Ekwulo also advocated for mandatory traffic load analysis, strengthened university-industry collaboration, and funding for applied pavement research.
Corruption, he noted, is a major challenge in the profession, saying severe punitive measures are needed to curb shabby practices leading to premature road failures.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described Ekwulo’s lecture as interesting and intriguing, highlighting the importance of implementing solutions to Nigeria’s highway challenges.
The Vice Chancellor also described Ekwulo’s proposals as practical and applicable to government and industry stakeholders.
He said the university is committed to research aligned with national development goals, referencing its NDV-12 responsive consortium production framework.
Zeb-Obipi noted that Ekwulo’s recommendations are timely and solution-driven, and will contribute to addressing Nigeria’s highway challenges.
Akujobi Amadi
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