Adegbulugbe: How Nigeria Can Strengthen Institutions to Boost Research, Industry Collaboration , ,
Prof. Anthony Adegbulugbe, the Chief Executive Officer of Green Energy International Limited, is an academic and policy advisor. In this interview with Funmi Ogundare, the Chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, who recently clocked 70 years, explained why it is imperative for Nigeria to reinforce its institutional frameworks, recognise and build on existing successes to drive impactful research, foster stronger ties between academia and industry, and enhance national and state-level development. Excerpts:
You have had a remarkable academic journey from OAU to MIT. How has this shaped your life and career path?
What has shaped my life to all extent is the grace of God that I have received along my pilgrim journey here on earth. I have been blessed by a supportive family, my parents, who encouraged me and imbibed deep spiritual values of trusting in God. I have a very understanding wife who helped and encouraged me along the way. I have children who are a source of joy to me. Specifically, to your question, OAU laid the foundation of my academic pursuit. The university that I attended was very exciting and competitive. The academic atmosphere drives you to be the best you can be. The confidence gained at OAU helped me to face the challenges of studying at one of the best universities in the world. Studying at MIT and doing well further gives you the confidence that you can surmount any challenge if you apply yourself to it.
In the history of OAU, you have so far been the graduate with a perfect CGPA of 5.0, a no small feat. What personal values or systems helped you excel academically?
I thank God for the system and the many wonderful lecturers that I had in Ife. In terms of the personal values system that helped me, I can only say that God gave me the grace to understand concepts easily. One way or the other, I find it relatively easy to break complex physical or mathematical concepts into simpler subsets in my mind. And when my classmates saw that attribute, they would always come to me so that I could explain the concepts we had learnt in class to them. So even though it seems I was not studying much, the time I spent explaining things to my classmates made up for the time I did not study.
Many students today feel disconnected from the practical applications of their studies. What do you think is missing in Nigeria’s higher education approach?
Without a doubt, there is a disconnect between our academic curriculum and what is needed to propel our country forward into the technological space. The problem is not that our students or lecturers are not good or competent, but what is missing is the linkage and the structural defect in our economy that is not geared towards industrialisation and other technology-driven services.
How can institutions encourage more industry-academic collaboration to better prepare students for the real world?
We need to strengthen our institutions and create good examples and templates for people to see and emulate. We need institutions that can bring the universities and industry together. A good example in the oil and gas sector is the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), which facilitates the interaction between the university and oil and gas companies as one of its mandates. For example, they facilitated the collaboration between my company, Green Energy International Limited and Federal University of Technology (FUTA), Akure. Both of us worked on a programme that is relevant to what we are doing, and in the process developed some capacity in the university. I know this is not an isolated case, as some other universities are already doing that with other universities.
As a former director of the Centre for Energy Research and Development at OAU, what are your views on the state of research and innovation in Nigerian universities?
The level of research and innovation in Nigerian universities is not where it should be. There are some challenges faced, and they must be addressed. Without a doubt, funding research and innovation is the number one problem. I remember the capital grant we received when I was the director of CERD, which was a joke compared to other institutions with similar mandates in the developed country or some other developing country. Management of the meagre financial resources to address some pressing national issues is another challenge faced. All in all, I believe universities should do better with the various interventions that are put in place.
What motivated you to transition from academia to founding Green Energy International Limited?
By the time I spent 40 years in academia, I became a bit restless. I was looking for the opportunity to put some of the ideas I have come up with from my research and those gained from attending international conferences and workshops into practice. By disposition, I am an entrepreneur. Utilising my academic expertise in the real world has been a most rewarding experience for me.
What legacy do you hope to leave in Nigeria’s energy sector?
The legacy I hope to leave behind in the Energy sector is that my team at Green Energy International Limited have demonstrated that a can-do spirit and reckless courage by embarking on a project that people would consider beyond the capabilities of indigenous players in the oil and gas industry. We constructed Nigeria’s first onshore terminal and export infrastructure, the first of its kind in over five decades. We delivered this infrastructure in less than two years, ahead of the sanctioned project schedule, thus demonstrating that Nigerian indigenous operators can deliver complex E&P infrastructures ahead of schedule.
What is your advice to young Nigerians aspiring to reach global academic heights like yourself?
They should stay the course and be focused. Avoid situations or people who would want to tell you it cannot be done. Of course, be ready for hard work and sacrifice for what you believe in or dream about. Above all, be spiritually grounded, as you will have to cross many rivers and steep mountains to climb.
, Education – THISDAYLIVE, April 30, 2025, 1:49 am
