The proprietor of
Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, says the country’s tertiary education system needs to connect its academic breakthrough in research and innovation with local relevance to form he catalysts for development in the areas of human needs.
Ade-Ojowho said this at the 8th International Conference of the West African Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA) held at the university said this will enable the country to record growth in the quest for technology advancement and economic growth.
The theme of the conference was, “Enhancing University-Government-Industry Research and Innovations Partnerships for Local Relevance and Global Competitiveness.
The proprietor said that rather than limiting involvement of academics on research to “career progression as it has been in may cases in our tertiary institutions in this country”, there should be connectivity in what is being done and technological advancement of the country.
Ade-Ojo requested government give financial support through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to private universities “so that the institutions can continue to be partners with government in the provision of access to education our country”.
The Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Professor Valentine Aletor, said the institution was committed to the promotion of excellence and uniqueness in both pedagogy and systematic impartation of knowledge, strategic building of good character and production of all-round graduates.
However, the TETFUND’s Executive Secretary, Professor Sulaiman Bogoro, in response to Ade-Ojo’s request for funding of private universities by TETFUND, said “By our law, we cannot fund private tertiary institution but the institutions can partners public ones to benefit from the fund. What government do all over the world is to provide enabling environment for private universities to serve and not to fund them.