Researchers deserve more support–Raji
The winner of the maiden UNILORIN Innovator of the Year Award and a former Head of the University’s Geophysics Department, Dr Wasiu Olanrewaju Raji, has called for proper motivation and support for scientists and inventors to enable them come up with more effective solutions to emerging human challenges.
Dr Raji, who is also a former Director of the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SWEIS), University of Ilorin, gave this advice last Thursday (December 21,2023) in a telephone chat with UNILORIN BULLETIN.
The renowned academic explained that Nigeria is blessed with prodigious individuals who are highly knowledgeable and extensively endowed with passion and creativity that can lead to the production of inventions and techniques capable of providing solutions to socioeconomic challenges facing the country.
Dr Raji, who is also a former Deputy Director of the Centre for Laboratory to Product (LABTOP), University of Ilorin, said that it is very important to provide proper regulations and efficient enforcement, which would protect intellectual property and innovations to discourage any form of plagiarism and thereby encourage scientific thinking.
The renowned scholar also asked the government and multinational companies to support research endeavours with adequate funds and other incentives, saying that doing so will stimulate more productivity.
Dr Raji, who is currently on sabbatical leave at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada; bemoaned the nonrecognition of academic and industrial ingenuity and embrace of frivolities.
The former Vice Chairman of the University of Ilorin chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) insisted that the prevailing situation where an individual who invented a car would receive no encouragement while organisations and individuals would be falling on one another to reward and celebrate a lady who won a dance contest does not augur well for the much envisaged all-round positive transformation of Nigeria.
Dr Raji, however, said that in spite of these challenges Nigeria still has hope as he expressed conviction in the fact that things will change for the better as time progresses.
Dr Raji, who also served as a Deputy Director of the Centre for International Education (CIE), University of Ilorin, commended the authorities of the University for institutionalising the “Innovator of the Year Award”, saying that such an award that does not depend on paper publishing would encourage more scientific and technological productivity among staff members of the University.
He expressed his gratitude to the nation’s most sought-after University for recognising and rewarding him for devising a leakage detector, which is useful for subsurface petroleum tanks.
Dr Raji, who recalled that the innovation was encouraged by a complaint and discussion he had with the owner of a popular Housing Estate in Lagos, said that he is currently working towards securing protection for the device at the international level.