NIOB charges wealthy Nigerians to fund research

By Owoleye Oluwakayode

The President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Kunle Awobodu, has called on wealthy Nigerians to invest in research for societal development.

Awobodu made the call for investment in research at the second edition of lecture series of the Association of Builders in Academia.

In a statement, Awobodu urged participants to explore local sources of funding for their research endeavours while noting that bringing research outputs to a finished level for society’s adoption was a crucial part of the research ecosystem.

Awobodu elucidated on the NIOB’s commitment to research manifested in its ongoing efforts at realizing the development of a world class research centre in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Part of the key objectives of the centre is to research into alternative building materials and promotion of skills for the nation’s development.

Chairman of the Association of Builders in Academia, Prof. Martin Dada, urged participants to continue in the search for workable ideas to advance the society.

Prof. Mike Oladokun of the Federal University of Oye, Ekiti State, shared his experience of how he won a research grant of about N30m from The World Academy of Sciences.

Oladokun drew from this and other experiences to encourage participants to persevere in proposal writing and the attendant search for funding.

Keynote speakers at the event included Sani Kunya, a professor of building and a former Sub-Dean of Students Affairs of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; and James Rotimi, an associate professor of construction management at the Massey University, New Zealand.

Others were Prof. Abimbola Windapo of the University of Cape Town, Prof. Myha Stanley, Prof. Godwin Idoro, Prof. Akananiye Umoh.