By Adenuga Toheeb Ayoola
The Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) has intensified efforts to commercialise research by partnering with the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) to establish technology incubation hubs on its Ikorodu campus.
Speaking on the university’s commitment to the partnership, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Abiodun Denloye, said the institution would provide land for the proposed incubation hubs and involve students in innovation programmes to support the commercialisation of research. He said the initiative would create opportunities for research findings to be transformed into market-ready products.
Explaining the significance of the partnership, the Director-General of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, said the initiative would bridge the gap between research and the marketplace by ensuring research outcomes are commercialised. He noted that the collaboration would promote wealth creation, generate employment and contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.
Also speaking, the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Research, Innovation and Development, Prof. Gloria Elemo, described technology incubation as a vital platform for transforming research ideas into sustainable businesses. She said LASUSTECH’s research and entrepreneurship initiatives provide a strong foundation for innovation, citing the University of Cambridge’s innovation programme as an example of successful research commercialisation.
Providing background on the initiative, the Manager of the Lagos Technology Incubation Centre, Mrs. Jumai Balogun, said Nigeria’s technology incubation programme has grown significantly since it was introduced in 1993 under a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative. She noted that the programme has produced several successful innovations, demonstrating how incubation supports researchers in developing commercially viable products.
Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, Director-General of NBTI, further said the partnership would strengthen research commercialisation by helping innovative ideas reach the market, creating jobs, generating wealth and accelerating the country’s economic and technological development.
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