The University of Ibadan has said Nigerian universities must move beyond theoretical research and focus on innovations capable of solving societal and industrial problems.
This position was reiterated by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Peter Olapegba, during the opening ceremony of a three-day TETFund Capacity Building Training Workshop organized for early career researchers by the institution’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Professor Olapegba, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, Kayode Adebowale, stated that universities are no longer assessed solely by enrollment figures or the physical outlook of their campuses, but increasingly by the relevance, applicability, and societal impact of their research outputs.
Research Must Deliver Practical Impact
Speaking on the workshop theme, “Promoting entrepreneurial mindset for research, productivity and growth in the university setting,” Professor Olapegba described the initiative as “not a mere slogan but a survival strategy for researchers.”
He criticized the traditional academic culture that places excessive emphasis on teaching, research, and journal publications without sufficient attention to practical impact and commercialization.
According to him, publications, often regarded as the currency of scholarship, should no longer represent the final destination of research efforts.
Rather, he stressed that research findings must address challenges confronting host communities, while patented innovations emerging from universities should move beyond laboratories into local markets and industries.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor also encouraged participants to design research projects that respond directly to societal and industrial needs. In addition, he urged academics to embrace intellectual property literacy and integrate entrepreneurship into teaching, learning, and research activities.
However, Professor Olapegba clarified that adoptng an entrepreneurial mindset does not imply abandoning academic responsibilities for trading activities.
Instead, he explained that academics must become solution-driven thinkers capable of identifying opportunities where others see obstacles.
He further urged researchers to begin viewing “the laboratory as a prototype factory, the department as an innovation hub and the students as potential employers of labour and not just job seekers.”
According to him, universities must intentionally develop graduates capable of creating jobs rather than depending solely on employment opportunitie.
Professor Olapegba maintained that productivity within the 21st-century university system should not be measured only by the number of journal publications produced by academics.
Rather, he said impact should also be assessed through the number of lives transformed, startups created, and industries positively influenced by university-based research and innovation.
UI Plans Recognition for Commercialized Research
While acknowledging challenges confronting tertiary institutions, including poor funding, decaying infrastructure, and heavy teaching workloads, Professor Olapegba noted that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund has continued to provide critical intervention support for research development.
He specifically referenced initiatives such as the National Research Fund and Institutional-Based Research fund as important tools supporting innovation and academic productivity within Nigerian universities.
The DVC further disclosed that the university administration plans to reward academics whose research translates into tangible societal and economic impact.
According to him, the institution is already developing promotion criteria that will recognize patents, spin-offs, and industry-sponsored projects alongside traditional academic publications during promotion exercises.
Consequently, he urged participants to engage actively throughout the workshop, collaborate across disciplines, and position the university as a strategic driver of Nigeria’s economic and technological transformation.
Entrepreneurship Becoming Central to Higher Education
Earlier in her remarks, the Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Sherifat Aboaba, described the programme as a landmark initiative aimed at strengthening entrepreneurial thinking and innovation-driven research among academic staff.
She explained that the training represents a response to changing realities in higher education, national development, and global competitiveness.
Professor Aboaba stated that universities can no longer function merely as centres for teaching and theoretical knowledge dissemination.
According to her, modern universities must evolve into hubs for innovation, commercialization, enterprise development, and sustainable economic growth.
She further emphasized that entrepreneurship has become central to institutional excellence and relevance within the contemporary global academic environment.
“The ability to transform knowledge into practical solutions and viable enterprises is now the true benchmark of academic relevance,” she stated.
FG Initiatives Supporting Innovation in Universities
Professor Aboaba also highlighted recent efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education to strengthen entrepreneurship education across tertiary institutions.
She referenced the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Incubation Certification (EIBIC) Programme introduced by the ministry to equip students with entrepreneurial competencies alongside academic qualifications.
According to her, the University of Ibadan is among the 14 pilot universities selected for the programme.
The Director further referenced initiatives such as TETFund research commercialization frameworks, the Research and Innovation Commercialization Committee (RICC), the Student Venture Capital Grant Scheme, and innovation incubation support programmes as part of broader efforts aimed at repositioning Nigerian universities as drivers of enterprise and socio-economic transformation.
She added that the workshop was carefully designed to expose participants to entrepreneurial pedagogy, innovation-led research, commercialization opportunities, startup incubation, interdisciplinary collaboration, grant competitiveness, and industry engagement.
Professor Aboaba expressed confidence that the initiative would strengthen the university’s drive toward innovation, enterprise development, and nationally relevant research.