Prof. Dipo Akomolafe says the Federal Government should improve the economic and technological advancement of the country by implementing research output of institutes and universities.
Akomolafe, a Professor of Computer Science and Digital Forensics, made the call on Friday at the 13th Inaugural Lecture of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, Ondo State.
The lecture was titled “From Wandering To Wisdom”: Breaking The Circle Of Intelligence Blindness.”
“We are wandering intelligence blindness,not because we do not have, but we refused to make use of what we have at appropriate time.
“Federal Government, through Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) spend billions every year on researches, but it’s outcome are dumped afterwards and no implementation,” he said.
Akomolafe, also the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, (Administration), OAUSTECH, likened the present technological advancement to taking it’s source and foundation from Ifa (Oracle), which he described as indigenous knowledge.
“if the government has research
hed into indigenous knowledge, and harnessed it’s potentials and opportunities, it would have positive impact on the economic growth and technological advancement of the country.
“In our traditional system, we have what we call indigenous knowledge, this relates with human existence that is peculiar to our environment,
“If we mention Ifa in the presence of some people, because of their religious beliefs, they will say Ifa is nothing, whereas, it is the bedrock and foundation of the technological and digital advancement we are experiencing now.
“When we talk of computer systems, phones, and other digital equipment, they take their foundation from Ifa, because Ifa emphasises on zero and one which stands for that truth and divination of the future.
“For instance, children were kidnapped and kept in our environment for weeks, and yet we are looking for them, if we had taken advantage of our indigenous knowledge, this will not have happened.
“I urge governments at all levels to accurately research into our indigenous knowledge and other researches outputs, implement them by harnessing it’s potentials and opportunities to better our country,” Akomolafe said.
In his remarks, OAUSTECH’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Temi Ologunorisa, said most of the research, which were not utilised, were financed by the government.
Ologunorisa urged government to always ensure the implementation of recommendations from several researches to solve the myriads of problems confronting the society.
Scholars, students, traditional rulers and members of the public graced the occasion. (NAN)