A total of 250 researchers in the social sciences and humanities across the world will converge on the University of Ibadan (UI) to attend the maiden edition of the annual Ibadan International Social Science Conference to proffer solutions to the current nation’s economic hardship.
The dean of UI’s faculty of the social sciences, Professor Ezebunwa Nwokocha, who revealed this to journalists, said the researchers would come from the United States of America, South Africa and universities across the country to provide evidence-based solutions arising from their researches on the problems confronting Nigeria’s development.
Nwokocha said the opening ceremony which starts today would feature a keynote address by a Trustee, Social Science Academy of Nigeria, Professor Lai Erinosho, while the lead paper presenter is Professor Augustine Okereke, who was the immediate past senior vice president and provost, Medger Event College, City University of New York, United States of America.
Nwokocha stated that University of Ibadan Social Sciences had played critical roles in the formulation of policies and guiding the government on the right policies to adopt that will drive the growth and development needed in Nigeria, adding that this conference is aimed at ensuring that Ibadan Social Sciences take the leadership again.
He stated that the conference theme which is, “Social Science, Contemporary Social Issues and the Actualisation of Sustainable Development” was carefully chosen to be able to get evidence-based data on how to address terrorism, banditry, problems associated with urbanisation, transportation problems, health problems, policy gaps including social protection, (un)employment and decent work challenges in Nigeria.
“Despite the uninspiring working conditions, Nigerian researchers are probing the problems which affect the country and have findings with recommendations on how these problems can be solved.
“This conference will aggregate these recommendations and push it out to government and policy actors so that they can come out with evidence driven policies rather than imported policies which oftentimes, lack relevance to the realities on ground.’’
