The Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Prof Timothy Adebayo, has called on Nigerian scholars to take advantage of local and international research grants to develop the nation’s education and improve Nigerian universities’ global rating.

Adebayo spoke during a capacity-building workshop for teaching staff of the university, where he also announced that the ACU Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Dr Olutoyin Okeowo, had facilitated a research grant of N25m for the scholars in the school.

He said, “As scholars, we need to take advantage of the various research grants offered by individuals and organisations all over the world. There are local grants too but we cannot access these grants if we don’t present innovative proposals on research that will have impact on society and our environment.

“Any areas of research that have been overly explored or that are being ingenuously sampled may not attract attention of grant agencies. Scholars need to work on research works because its uniqueness will help develop our country and education in different fields.

“At the ACU, the Chairman of the governing council, Dr Okeowo, is concerned with research works, which is one of our core mandates. He has facilitated the sum of N25m research grant to be given in batches to scholars from the university who can submit good research proposals to the school’s research committee headed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Muyiwa Popoola.”

Adebayo stated that the essence of organising the workshop was to expose the school’s academic staff to how to write research proposals for local and international agencies that offer research grants.

Guest lecturer at the event, Dr James Fadokun of Partnership for Learning for all Nigeria, Abuja, urged the government to increase research grants for Nigerian scholars, while also encouraging scholars to look beyond classroom teaching by engaging themselves in research activities.