NAN-H-74
Collaboration
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Ilorin, Nov. 1, 2017 (NAN) A consortium of 10 African universities on Wednesday urged researchers across African universities to collaborate to generate research ideas and proffer lasting solutions to the problems peculiar to Africa.
This was part of a communique issued at the end of the five-day 5th U6 International Conference held at the Kwara State University (KWASU) from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.
The conference with the theme; “Resolving Developmental Challenges of Africa Using Multi-Disciplinary Research’’ had participants from KWASU, University of Ilorin, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa, and University of The Gambia, Gambia.
Others are the University of Jos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Ughelli, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, and, University of Calabar.
According to the communique signed by the Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Prof. Kazeem Gbolagade, African countries should as a matter of urgency improve the rate of literacy, build strong economies, and promote stable and sustainable democracies as these are indices of development.
“The broad dimension of health that impacts a large number of people should be the strategic focus of African governments, while not neglecting the need to prevent mortality and disability among the sick through appropriate technologies.
“Governments should ensure that human habitation in industrial areas is restricted to reduce the challenges of industrial pollution on human health.
“There is the need for effective interactions between resource persons from agricultural institutions and the farmers.
“This can be done through the establishment of demonstration farms in farming communities for adoption and up-scaling of improved technologies among farmers to improve their productive capacity.
“Heads of African Governments must demonstrate vision, champion agriculture and lend their leadership to national agricultural plans and multi-stakeholder platforms to drive agricultural transformation.
“Tourists’ safety must be prioritised as a means of promoting the tourism industry in Africa,’’ the communique read. (NAN)
BAY/EEE
=======
Edited by Ese E. Ekama