TheCitizen - It's all about you
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • Latest News
  • Governance
  • Business
  • Financial Crimes
  • Opinion
  • Editorials
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • Latest News
  • Governance
  • Business
  • Financial Crimes
  • Opinion
  • Editorials
No Result
View All Result
TheCitizen - It's all about you
No Result
View All Result

Rethinking research in Nigeria

The Editor by The Editor
September 17, 2018
in Opinion
A A
0
Rethinking research in Nigeria
22
SHARES
737
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Nyerhovwo Tonukari

I would like to start by asking why should the Federal Government still be happy in giving university lecturers grants for research? Where are the commercialized research outputs that warrant further research investments? But is the Federal Government funding research to the expected level? Are we doing the kind of research that will bring development to Nigeria? What have we as biochemists contributed to the Nigerian economy in terms of development from our research? Again, what has the Federal Government received in return for its over 50 years of funding scientific research? What specific products or processes can we point to in Nigeria that resulted from research that we conducted? As scientists are we pleased that there is still poverty and hunger in Nigeria in spite of the vast knowledge that we boast of? How many biochemists are really contented with their current salaries as well as societal and economic conditions?

I must confess that scientific research is much better now with TETFund funding some of our researches. Nevertheless, the low level of funding, for instance, one, two or three million naira research grants will not be enough to conduct any meaningful research. Hence, what we see in biochemistry journals is a lot of “effect of X on Y.” Many of us have published these kinds of papers just for promotion and nothing else. Papers and award-chasing are now what characterize the typical Nigerian lecturer.

The TETFund 2016 Budget was N213.4b, with only a small part of this devoted to research while most went into capital expenditures and training. Nigeria’s total Federal Government 2018 budget of N9.12 trillion is less than the amount the United States spends for medical research alone. The 2018 budget for the USA National Institutes of Health (NIH) is $37 billion (about N11.5 trillion); National Science Foundation (NSF), $7.8 billion (about N2.5 trillion); and NASA, $20.7 billion (about N6.5 trillion). The USA budget for 2018 is S4.094 trillion which is about 1,250 trillion naira (not 10 times but a whopping 140 times Nigerian budget). What a difference!

Considering the state of our economy, our research must be linked to industries. Our institutions must partner with industries and source for research funding from them. For example, about 20% of the research funding at the National University of Seoul, South Korea is sourced from industries (http://www.useoul.edu/research/facts). When research is tied to economic results, significant funding will come from industries. Therefore, our institutions must learn to work hand-in-hand with industries to build the economy.

Why is the US economy thriving and its budget so huge? It is simply because it has so many companies that pay good taxes to the government. Even scientists including professors are encouraged with grants, cheap loans and venture capital to commercialize their research and start companies. Several biochemistry professors move between industry and academia. Hence research parks and business incubators dot areas with universities in several western countries. Instead of complaining and criticizing the government, we should endeavor to become part of the solution by conducting real research that will lead to job creation and new products. We must learn to work with those from other fields including engineers, agriculturists, economists and software developers to make our own versions of products and services that we now import. There are so much we import that we can easily make in Nigeria. Are we not ashamed that we import enzymes, vitamins, hormones and organic acids into Nigeria? Can we not practice some of what we teach by producing these biochemicals in Nigeria? On the contrary, we export so many assays like paternity tests abroad that we can easily carry out in Nigeria. We lose so much foreign exchange. If you are Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria, will you be happy with Nigerian biochemists? Many of us got the Federal Government postgraduate and now TETFund scholarships to study for our masters and PhDs. But, the question is, ‘what have we given back to Nigeria in appreciation?’

We import so much into Nigeria today, that it has become so embarrassing. Many industries are closing, and several service firms are folding up. So many things are wrong, and we lecturers and professors are part of the problem. How many of us have real industrial experience that qualifies us to teach industrial biochemistry? Why can we not engage our colleagues in industries to teach part of our industrial biochemistry courses with us? Do we really know what is currently happening in Nigerian and international industries or we are just teaching what is in the stale textbooks? Why are we so happy to quote foreign companies as the source of our chemicals and equipment? We should patronize indigenous companies and laboratories. How many of you have joined your local chamber of commerce and industry like I have done? There is no doubt that we need some encouragement like what China is giving to its industries if we are to have real strong companies in Nigeria. But we must not wait for such governmental encouragements. We must do what we can; we need to refocus some of our research into those areas that will lead to products and services that we can commercialize and profit from financially.

But what should we really do? It is now time to rethink and refocus our research such that it will contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian economy. We must conduct investigations that will lead to products or processes that we can point to instead of chasing awards, papers and promotion. Commercialization of research output should be given a priority. Researchers should be encouraged to pursue patents in addition to papers so that they can benefit financially from the research. Also, there is need to introduce challenge researches. Here, scientists, policy makers, industries and stakeholders will identify real problems that we need to tackle. TETFUND and other donor agencies will call for proposals and fund the ones that will lead to solution thereby creating products and services, and ultimately jobs.

In addition, there is need for the establishment of strong research collaborations and consortiums. Instead of giving each individual researcher two million naira for research which will end up in a meaningless promotion-focused paper, scientists with different expertise should collaborate to solve specific problems or create products and services that will promote the economy and society. Meaningful grants of at least N500m should be given to consortium of a minimum of 10 collaborating scientists that come from different fields and universities (including research institutes) to solve specific problems or create some novel products. Such call for proposals should be made public and a national panel of experts should screen them and recommend the outstanding ones for funding.

Biochemists can work with agricultural biotechnologists to develop herbicide resistant cassava. Nigeria can easily triple its cassava production if we have herbicide resistant cassava that will save a lot of labour. I have published two reviews where I argued that cassava should be considered as white gold because it is the future of starch and it is going to serve as the substrate for several industries in Nigeria. As an optimist and futurist, I still stand by my prediction. Unlike before, we now have several molecular biologists in Nigeria. What does it take to develop a transgenic plant? Several universities and research institutes have most of the required equipment and several of us have the skills to conduct such experiments. All that is required is the boost; assemble the experts, provide the consumables and give them a deadline. Believe me, we can do this. We can improve most crops in Nigeria if the funding is provided. Nigerian molecular biologists are waiting for the call.

We have been producing alcohol from different raw materials in Nigeria since pre-historic times. And we have so many grains and tubers to use as substrates for alcohol production. Then why are we still importing industrial alcohol into Nigeria? I think some of us including engineers, microbiologists and economists should come up with proposals to establish mini-alcohol production plants from cassava and other tubers and grains in all parts of Nigeria. Imagine how many jobs that will be created!

Can we not produce better anti-malaria drugs and even work towards the eradication of malaria? Nigerians have been publishing papers on anti-malarial plants since the 1960s; yet there is no real commercial Nigerian made drugs in the market. We have investigated so many medicinal herbs from all parts of Nigeria. I am confident that with good funding and encouragement, we can produce combined anti-malarial drugs with better efficacy than the current artemisinin-based drugs that we now import. And what can we as biochemists contribute towards the total eradication of malaria? Now that is food for thought.

“Nigerian Government to import grass from Brazil” is the headline of a 2017 newspaper article. What a shame! Cows need to eat grass, but it is sickening to even imagine that we need to import grass to feed our cattle. We have conducted several investigations and published several articles on animal feeds in Delta State University. My colleagues and I have identified an alpha-amylase from Aspergillus niger from cassava undergoing spoilage. The interesting thing is that this enzyme can be used to pre-treat and enrich cassava peels such that they can be included cheaply in poultry and pig feeds. We also sequenced and analyzed (in silico) the gene encoding the amylase. These feeds were tested in poultry and pigs with very positive results. We are very confident that we can easily produce very cheap supplementary feeds for cattle if the funding and market is available. There are other laboratories and groups in Nigerian universities that can also produce these supplementary feeds using local materials.

The biochemistry curriculum as well as research dissemination should also be revisited. Have we ever involved the industries, laboratories and research institutes in drafting the biochemistry curriculum? The internet, open access and online education will jolt our profession like never before. Digital technology offers us rich, interactive learning environments. Most students now get more information for their project from Google Scholar and Wikipedia, than from their library. So, we better start including some bioinformatics and real computer programming into our curriculum. And if you are happy downloading and using PDFs of published articles in your teaching and research, you should also strongly support and publish in open access journals that uploads such papers online for you to freely access.

If we do not change, the future may not favour us as lecturers and also as a country. High throughput screening and bioinformatic analyses will dominate biochemical research in the future. Are we ready for that? Most of the common assays are now being automated and carried out by robots in several laboratories and industries in western countries. Artificial intelligence and machine-based analyses will comb through billions of biochemical and genomic data to generate advanced molecules, transgenes and bio-drugs. Believe it or not, instead of expensive spectrophotometers, microscopes and PCR thermocyclers, our phones and laptops with cheaply attached accessories will be used to measure absorbance and record various parameters in the future. Are we just going to sit back and buy these future assays and accessories from abroad or compete with them for a slice of the market?

We are all very intelligent and hardworking. We have studied those intricate biochemical pathways, complex genomic expressions and multifaceted signal transductions. Why can we not translate our unique knowledge to understanding the pathways of life and proffer unique solutions? We should sever ourselves from the old and look towards the future. We praise and readily accept articles published by the big companies in Europe and the United States, and we are doing nothing whatever to improve our local faculty and association journals. We call their journals international and score them higher during promotion exercises. Why are we not going to call our journals local and consider them inferior? How many of our faculty journals are indexed? How many of them have interactive and tracking websites? How many of our journals have diverse and international editors? How many of our association journals are attracting international authors? How many of our faculty journals have Google Scholar h5 ranking? How many of them have Crossref with digital object identifier (DOI)? How many of our association journals have digital preservation? We must improve our own journals to achieve global recognition. We must embrace and publish in Nigerian and African journals. We must support our local economy.

As Robert Kennedy once said, “the future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of bold projects and new ideas. Rather, the future will belong to those who can blend passion, reason and courage in a personal commitment to their ideals.” The future belongs to the bold. I enjoin you all to be part of the future.

Excepts of the keynote address delivered by Professor Nyerhovwo Tonukari at the 3rd South South Annual Zonal Conference of the Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thursday 13th September 2018 at the University of Port Harcourt. Professor Tonukari teaches biochemistry at the Delta State University Abraka and he is the founder of Academic Journals.

Share9Tweet6
Previous Post

African multi-millionaires hit 7,100

Next Post

Ejidike, Ikpea others mourn Rev.Iloh

Related Posts

Teacher’s Day Celebration: Tackling fundamentals of national educational system
Opinion

Teacher’s Day Celebration: Tackling fundamentals of national educational system

September 27, 2023
Nigeria Immigration Service and hire purchase passports
Opinion

Nigeria Immigration Service and hire purchase passports

September 5, 2023
Sudan crisis: Security threats and implications for Nigeria and beyond
Opinion

Sudan crisis: Security threats and implications for Nigeria and beyond

August 30, 2023
Tinubu finds his own demons
Opinion

Tinubu finds his own demons

August 3, 2023
Ali Pate: Long-awaited messiah of Nigerian health sector
Opinion

Ali Pate: Long-awaited messiah of Nigerian health sector

July 23, 2023
2023: Gov. Ugwuanyi won’t tamper with zoning arrangement in Enugu State — Aide
Opinion

Ugwuanyi’s footprints, patriotic role in national integration, equity  

July 7, 2023
Next Post
Ejidike, Ikpea others mourn Rev.Iloh

Ejidike, Ikpea others mourn Rev.Iloh

INEC submits details of adjusted N143bn election budget

BREAKING: INEC bars video recording in polling booths during Osun election

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

FROM THE GRASSROOTS

Ondo senator appoints 100 PAs, awards N300k to each constituent

Ondo senator appoints 100 PAs, awards N300k to each constituent

by The Editor
September 20, 2023
0

...

Obasanjo laments insecurity on Nigeria roads, railways, airports

Yoruba Obas Forum insists on Obasanjo’s public apology

by The Editor
September 19, 2023
0

...

Cult clash: Sagamu LG imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew on motorcycle, tricycle operations

Cult clash: Sagamu LG imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew on motorcycle, tricycle operations

by The Editor
September 18, 2023
0

...

Rivers council boss bans commercial tricycle operations over insecurity

Rivers council boss bans commercial tricycle operations over insecurity

by The Editor
September 16, 2023
0

...

APPOINTMENTS

Biden appoints two Nigerians, Imasogie, Ogwumike as advisers

Biden appoints two Nigerians, Imasogie, Ogwumike as advisers

by The Editor
September 28, 2023
0

...

Tinubu nominates Cardoso as CBN Governor, names four deputies⁣

Cardoso assumes office as CBN confirms Emefiele’s resignation

by The Editor
September 22, 2023
0

...

Gov. Otti makes 14 new appointments

Gov. Otti makes 14 new appointments

by The Editor
September 20, 2023
0

...

Tinubu appoints Hakeem Baba-Ahmed as Special Adviser

Tinubu appoints Hakeem Baba-Ahmed as Special Adviser

by The Editor
September 18, 2023
0

...

ODDITIES

59-year-old man gets life imprisonment for raping two daughters

59-year-old man gets life imprisonment for raping two daughters

by The Editor
September 19, 2023
0

Guard allegedly impregnates three students in Anglican school

Guard allegedly impregnates three students in Anglican school

by The Editor
September 15, 2023
0

Gunmen attack Rivers TV, radio stations

Man kills father with pestle in Rivers State

by The Editor
September 8, 2023
0

State of the States

Sanwo-Olu issues traders two days ultimatum to vacate red line rail tracks

Sanwo-Olu issues traders two days ultimatum to vacate red line rail tracks

by The Editor
September 28, 2023
0

...

Taraba approves N85,000 allowance for corps members

Taraba approves N85,000 allowance for corps members

by The Editor
September 26, 2023
0

...

2023 presidency: Ogun Governor dumps Tinubu for Osinbajo

Gov. Abiodun directs payment of N1bn gratuity to pensioners

by The Editor
September 20, 2023
0

...

Subsidy: Delta governor approves palliatives for students

Subsidy: Delta governor approves palliatives for students

by The Editor
September 20, 2023
0

...

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
UK licenses 266 Nigerian doctors in two months

UK licenses 266 Nigerian doctors in two months

August 3, 2022
US govt reaches agreement with Niger junta, resumes drone aircraft, crewed aircraft operations

US govt reaches agreement with Niger junta, resumes drone aircraft, crewed aircraft operations

September 16, 2023
Coup: Russia warns ECOWAS, others against Niger intervention threats

Coup: Russia warns ECOWAS, others against Niger intervention threats

August 2, 2023
Fed Govt orders telcos to reverse hike in call, data rates

NCC sets record clear in alleged leakage of Obi-Oyedepo call

April 4, 2023

Air Peace begins operations, offers airfare to Armed Forces personnel

170

Diezani breaks silence, reveals side of story in 3-part exclusive interview

26

FG’s N4trn contractual debts under Jonathan – National Mirror

21

2015: Washington Post condemns Jonathan for campaign slogan

20
Guber elections: INEC expresses concerns over insecurity in Imo, Kogi

Guber elections: INEC expresses concerns over insecurity in Imo, Kogi

September 28, 2023
Leah Sharibu married off to ISWAP Commander after ‘divorcing’ first husband – Report

Leah Sharibu married off to ISWAP Commander after ‘divorcing’ first husband – Report

September 28, 2023
Biden appoints two Nigerians, Imasogie, Ogwumike as advisers

Biden appoints two Nigerians, Imasogie, Ogwumike as advisers

September 28, 2023
Sanwo-Olu issues traders two days ultimatum to vacate red line rail tracks

Sanwo-Olu issues traders two days ultimatum to vacate red line rail tracks

September 28, 2023

GLOBAL NEWS

Biden appoints two Nigerians, Imasogie, Ogwumike as advisers

Biden appoints two Nigerians, Imasogie, Ogwumike as advisers

by The Editor
September 28, 2023
0

...

Burundi President condemns coup rumours

Burundi President condemns coup rumours

by The Editor
September 26, 2023
0

...

Uproar trails proposal to lengthen Kenya president’s term

Uproar trails proposal to lengthen Kenya president’s term

by The Editor
September 26, 2023
0

...

Burkina Faso troops join raid on militants in Niger Republic

Burkina Faso troops join raid on militants in Niger Republic

by The Editor
September 26, 2023
0

...

France to withdraw troops, ambassador from Niger Republic

France to withdraw troops, ambassador from Niger Republic

by The Editor
September 25, 2023
0

...

EDITORIAL REVIEW

Tension in Benue, Adamawa over Ortom, Fintiri’s fate

Filling Supreme Court vacancies – Thisday

by The Editor
September 26, 2023
0

Inflation is deepening mass poverty – Punch

Inflation is deepening mass poverty – Punch

by The Editor
September 26, 2023
0

Teachers in private schools – Thisday

Teachers in private schools – Thisday

by The Editor
September 20, 2023
0

Reining-in boat mishaps in Nigeria – Vanguard

Reining-in boat mishaps in Nigeria – Vanguard

by The Editor
September 20, 2023
0

Rising cultism menace should be crushed – Punch

Rising cultism menace should be crushed – Punch

by The Editor
September 19, 2023
0

Opinion

Teacher’s Day Celebration: Tackling fundamentals of national educational system

Teacher’s Day Celebration: Tackling fundamentals of national educational system

by The Editor
September 27, 2023
0

...

Nigeria Immigration Service and hire purchase passports

Nigeria Immigration Service and hire purchase passports

by The Editor
September 5, 2023
0

...

Sudan crisis: Security threats and implications for Nigeria and beyond

Sudan crisis: Security threats and implications for Nigeria and beyond

by The Editor
August 30, 2023
0

...

Tinubu finds his own demons

Tinubu finds his own demons

by The Editor
August 3, 2023
0

...

  • UK licenses 266 Nigerian doctors in two months

    UK licenses 266 Nigerian doctors in two months

    129 shares
    Share 52 Tweet 32
  • US govt reaches agreement with Niger junta, resumes drone aircraft, crewed aircraft operations

    88 shares
    Share 35 Tweet 22
  • Coup: Russia warns ECOWAS, others against Niger intervention threats

    76 shares
    Share 30 Tweet 19
  • NCC sets record clear in alleged leakage of Obi-Oyedepo call

    67 shares
    Share 27 Tweet 17
  • Shake-up in army

    62 shares
    Share 25 Tweet 16
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • Latest News
  • Governance
  • Business
  • Financial Crimes
  • Opinion
  • Editorials

© 2022 TheCitizen Ng. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • Latest News
  • Governance
  • Business
  • Financial Crimes
  • Opinion
  • Editorials

© 2022 TheCitizen Ng. All Rights Reserved.