By Raphael Ede
Enugu
African Heritage Institution (Afri-Heritage), a socio-economic and political think-tank, has said research is fundamental to Nigeria’s development, noting that unless Nigerians work towards the direction of research, the country’s development would be a mirage.
Executive Director of Afri-Heritage, Prof. Ufo Okeke-Uzodike, stated this in an address at the 2017 annual research review and scientific validation workshop of the institution at the weekend in Enugu.
He said there was strong evidence that countries investing in research stand better chances of being prosperous than countries that do not, saying “currently, Nigeria invests too little in its research and development activities than many of its peers.
“The institutions were explicitly created to drive research and development, and boost our knowledge stock about our country and its communities,’’ he said.
Prof Ufo explained that research is important for many reasons, including vital information gathering, making changes, improve quality of life and for safer and longer life.
He said the review workshop sought largely “to keep us on our toes about the work we do at Afri-Heritage with regard to our obligation to do quality research and research relevant to our context and to further raise official awareness about the continued importance of research and ordered policy-making. Public policies should be evidence-based”.
Earlier, a lecturer with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Dr Freedom Onuoha, reviewed the research work on “Environmental Impact of Boko Haram in Nigeria’’ and “Agitation of Separation and Non Negotiability of Nigeria’’, saying the two research works hit the issues that were important to the peace of the country while it tried to proffer practical solutions based on findings, to solve the challenges.
Another lecturer with Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Dr Ikenna Alumona, reviewed the works on “Restructuring and Nigeria National Integration in Perspective’’ and “Peace Building and National Integration in a Multi-Cultural and Multi-Tribal Society.”
Alumona said the works brought to to mind the need for leaders to listen and come closer to the people to build a united and prosperous nation through practical steps.
The workshop was attended by scores of professors, other academia and policy formulators within the South-East and South-South regions.
