Polytechnic Conference Targets Research, Skills For Nigeria’s Economic Growth

The Federal Polytechnic, Bali, in Taraba State wants the managment of higher institutions to prioritise strengthening the connection between academic research and practical applications, capable of driving innovation and economic development in Nigeria.

These are some of the issues that took the centre stage at the opening of the institution’s 8th Annual National Conference organised by the Research and Publication Committee of the school.
The three-day conference was themed “Advancing Equity and Preparedness in Higher Education through Integrated Research and Practice for Sustainable Economic Development.”

At the event, the deputy rector and chairman of the Research and Publication Committee, Malam Abdulrahman Saidu, said tertiary institutions of learning could no longer afford to operate research and academic activities in isolation from the needs of society.

Saidu, who was represented by the director, Open, Distance and Flexible Learning (ODFeL), Dr Yahaya Tukur, said higher education must remain responsive to emerging social, technological and economic challenges by promoting equitable access to quality education, relevant skills acquisition and continuous research.

He noted that, research would only have meaningful impact when its findings were effectively applied to address real-life challenges and improve economic opportunities.

Also speaking, the Deputy Registrar, Mustapha Baba, who represented the Registrar, Alhaji Muhammad Tukur Lamido, said institutions of higher learning had a responsibility to ensure that knowledge generated through research was translated into practical solutions.

He advocated for a stronger partnerships among academic institutions, industries, laboratories and communities, saying such collaboration would help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical development.

Declaring the conference open on behalf of the Rector, Dr Mohammed Usman, the Director of Academic Planning, Dr Sani Isa Abubakar, said the theme was particularly relevant to the mandate of the Polytechnic.

Dr. Usman said, equity in education must ensure that the benefits of learning were accessible to people irrespective of their backgrounds, while preparedness required students to acquire practical, innovative and entrepreneurial skills.

He described research as a critical link between the classroom and the economy, and was optimistic that the conference would provide avenue for academics and other stakeholders to explore ways of converting research findings into sustainable economic opportunities.

Earlier, the lead paper presenter, Associate Prof. Sani Matthew Emmanuel of the Department of Economics, Federal University Wukari, called for greater emphasis on creativity, entrepreneurship, relevant skills and economic diversification.

Prof. Emmanuel, who presented a paper titled “Integrated Research and Practice for Sustainable Development in Federal Polytechnic Bali,” said the generation of new ideas and effective application of knowledge were essential to sustainable economic growth.