The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, has called for stronger collaboration among universities, industry, government, and international partners to reposition higher education in Nigeria for innovation, entrepreneurship, and greater societal impact.
Professor Ribadu made the call while declaring open the International Conference on Academic Entrepreneurship, Knowledge and Technology Transfer in Nigerian Universities, held in Abuja.
Represented by the Director of Research, Information and Technology, Lawal Farouk, the NUC boss said the conference comes at a critical time for higher education globally and in Nigeria, noting that universities are increasingly expected to move beyond their traditional roles of teaching and research.
Professor Ribadu further stressed the Commission’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s university system through reforms aimed at producing graduates equipped to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Harald Korflesch of the University of Koblenz, Germany, underscored the need to professionalise academic entrepreneurship and improve the commercialisation of research outputs to drive economic development.
Track up
The two day conference brought together participants from universities, research institutions, development agencies, and international partners to explore strategies for strengthening innovation and technology transfer within Nigeria’s higher education sector.
End
