That is how high-income economies run
and if Nigeria is aspiring to achieve high-
income economy status, there are no
other options. and development. They know that
universities could open up great
opportunities to an enormous global pool
of talent and skills.
A situation where university and industry
exist so far apart from each other clearly
undermine their roles in informing the
pace, form and direction of social-
economic advancement in the country. The challenge is how to close
the gap between the two.
Institutions of higher education in Nigeria
therefore need to, as a matter of urgency,
invest in structures that link students to
industry, especially now when the world is
looking to Africa (and Nigeria, in
particular) as the next frontier for
international trade.
Research and Development as
a bridge
How do we make sure that higher
education is linked to current market
needs, to boost growth that enhances
holistic national progress? Firstly, both
sides already recognize the mutual benefits
and the potential spill-over to the economy
of this kind of collaboration. University
administrators understand that if they are
to remain relevant, they need to train
graduates fitting the job market, and
concretize and try out concepts created in
the real world.
On their part, Industries also acknowledge
that to successfully innovate, they cannot
exclusively rely on their internal research
Firstly, both universities and industries
have different expectations. Often,
universities interested in pursuing linkages
(and technology transfer) do not know
where to look for companies that need
certain technologies. One reason for this is
the fragmented nature of the private sector
in Nigeria. Another possible reason is that
most business organizations in Nigeria
operate with informal business structures
that make it difficult to effectively create
sustainable, professional linkages.
On their part, industries may find it difficult
getting specific expertise in universities. In
some cases, they don‘t even know which
institutions to approach for the kind of
expertise they may need. This could be a
function of the way Universities in Nigeria
are currently structured. The Industrial
training arrangement – where University
students spend a year in industry – has not
been effective either in this respect.
There are also issues surrounding
ownership of patents, loss or ownership of
property rights and sharing of benefits. In
addition, universities and industries in
Nigeria typically have different work
rhythms and ethics.