LSRDC Plans Inaugural Sensitization Workshop

The Lagos State Research and Development Council (LSRDC), a body created by the Lagos State government to galvanize growth and development through research is to hold a stakeholders sensitization workshop in Lagos on Tuesday July 23, at the Lagos E-learning Center on Broad Street, Lagos Island.

The workshop is targeted at government, academia, research and development agencies, the private sector and students.

At the workshop, The 10 member research and development council which was inaugurated in September 2012 by Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), governor of Lagos State and chaired by Professor Olufemi Bamiro, will present the activities of the Council to the general public and engage stakeholders in an interactive session on strategies to strengthen and foster Research and Development (R&D) in the state.

According to Bamiro, “The vision of the Council is to become an instrument for the transformation of Lagos State into an innovative, knowledge-driven community where the citizens acquire the capability to thrive in the globally competitive world economy.

He added that the primary roles of the council include strengthening tertiary institutions’ basic and applied research capabilities, funding R&D ideas that will lead to the introduction of commercial products, in addition to funding R&D projects that foster strong domestic and international industry and academic partnerships.

Others, he said include driving the growth of new start-ups conceived from tertiary institutions’ R&D laboratories, improving innovation capabilities and culture in tertiary education, supporting innovation programs that will improve the quality of learning, teaching and graduate employability, geared towards the production of the requisite human capital to drive the State’s economy.”

The Lagos State Research and Development Council and the Lagos Innovation Council are key components of the Lagos Innovation Project (INNOVATELAGOS).

The Innovation Project was established by the Lagos State Government in 2011, to inspire, nurture and promote innovation for the advancement of economic and social development for Lagos and Lagosians.

Since its inauguration, the LRDC has conducted surveys and developed seventeen key thematic areas under which research proposals will be invited from researchers to meet identified developmental challenges.

These thematic areas cover Arts and Humanities, Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, Transportation, Science, Technology, Environmental Science and Climate Change, Housing, Agriculture and the Agro-Allied Industry.