Advancement
By Ikenna Uwadileke
Abuja, June 11, 2018 (NAN) Mr Leslie Emegbuonye, Development Strategy and Innovation Consultant on Monday said research remained the bedrock of technological advancement in the country.
Emegbuonye made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He urged scientists, scholars and institutions to embrace research in order to come up with appropriate technologies and good products.
He expressed concern that defective products could flood the markets due to lack of research before the items were manufactured.
“The challenge is in our attitude. So, we need to start thinking; start making good use of our brains.
“Sometimes we don’t put a lot of thoughts into our products and that is lack of research.
“If you make a candy-flavoured toothpick, the only way you can know that it is going to sell in Port Harcourt is through research.
“We are keenly aware of the fact that toothpick is needed in Port Harcourt because I know that there is a Nigerian market for dental products but will people go for flavoured ones?
“Sometimes there are shallow products because not enough research has been done and not enough thinking was done
“But there are also people who can condemn products because of issues with expenditure.
“When the television was innovated, people said it was not going to happen because nobody was going to sit down in a room and watch a tube.
“Then everybody wanted to listen to radio because it was the in -thing.
“So television didn’t come out as a great innovation but a very shallow thinking but now we will be thinking of how to sit down and watch the World Cup on television because we cannot go to Russia to watch it.
“Sometimes, an idea may be ahead of its time and look shallow in its time but if proper research has been done to understand the needs of the people, eventually it will catch up,’’ Emegbuonye said.
Emegbuonye further identified orientation to education as another challenge militating against technological advancement in the country.
According to him, enhancing the practical part of education should be part of education.
“If we take this further, we will be talking of other infrastructure that makes the system work, like electricity.
“As soon as these things are addressed and we re-orientate ourselves and not take it as business as usual, we will progress,’’ Emegbuonye said. (NAN)
IK/COA/GY
==========
Edited by Constance Imasuen/Grace Yussuf