Pantami To Lecturers: Prepare Students To Become Employers

The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami, has advised university lecturers to involve students in problem-solving from their first year in the university as this would prepare them to become employers of labour.

He said Nigeria must go beyond using research for requirements to graduate and obtain a degree if the country wants to move forward.

He spoke on “Research, Innovation, and Sustainable Development,’ at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, yesterday, during the first annual lecture, unveiling the model of the Africa Centre of Excellence design studio and commissioning of Incubation Centre and Researchers’ lodge in the university.

He noted that the future is no longer dependent on natural resources but on knowledge-based, and research must lead students to gain innovative ideas that would make them graduate as potential employers.

“Research must be linked up with innovation. Students should partake in problem-solving. They should be engaged in critical thinking. Research should go beyond the requirements to graduate. They should be given topic three years before graduation so that they can come up with creative ideas.

Innovative ideas can make student graduate as potential employers.

“There is a need for reorientation and changing of perception about research.

We have talent in Nigeria but we don’t think of improving on what we have achieved. Research should go beyond the requirement of graduation. Otherwise, we are heading to an era where certificates will not be meaningful,” Pantami added.

The leader of ACE, Prof Ganiyu Aderohunmu, explained that the OAK park was to aspire to stimulate creativity and excellence in research and innovation and expand learning opportunities for OAU staff, students and other researchers from the region.

“To develop the next generation of scientists, researchers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and product developers through appropriate practice-anchored capacity building measures, including industrial immersion schemes. This will entail the production of a critical mass of much-needed manpower for research and innovation,” he added.

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of OAU, Owelle Udoji, and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adebayo Bamire, said OAU is committed to promoting all programs and activities in her pursuit of attaining and maintaining the full stature of a world-class university.