The Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Anwuka and the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Julius Okojie, has called on Nigerian Universities to develop research products that would be commercially viable and provide solutions to the nation’s challenges.

The two made this call at the 6th edition of Nigerian Universities Research and Development Fair held on Tuesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.

Speaking in their separate speeches on the theme” ‘Research and Innovation: A Panacea for National Industrial Transformation,’ Anwuka and Okojie noted that what the country needed was technology-driven researches with commercial values that will help boost the country and not theorisation.

They pointed out that the difference between Universities and other tertiary institutions was research.

Anwuka however described the theme of the fair as apt and timely adding that the commercial research would help in diversifying the nation’s economy.

On his part, Okojie who was represented by an aide, Dr Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf harped on the need to explore research as a means to enhance Nigeria's industrial transformation and global competitiveness.

Organisers of the event, NUC in collaboration with Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK maintained that the research fair was to stimulate and deepen the interdependence among researchers, industrialists and inventors.

He called for innovations and research products that would attract the attention of both local and international markets.

Lending his voice, an industrialist and chairman of the event, Dr Ifeanyi Okoye, advised the fair organisers to always involve industrialists and manufacturers in the scheme.

He expressed optimism that a synergy between researchers and industrialists would bring about radical industrial growth and mass employment in the country.

Earlier in his address, the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Joseph Ahaneku, noted that research findings from Nigerian universities had not been maximised.

In his words, “Considerable research findings abound in Nigeria universities serving no further purpose for society at large as a result of lack of linkage with industry.

“This raises the urgent necessity of moving beyond basic research to applied research and innovation, which in addition to creating knowledge/technology, would lead to discovering solution and promote global competitiveness of our industries.”

•Photo shows Prof Anwuka.