By Olugbolahan Kuku
February 26 2026; Hon. Adetola Abubakar played host to the academia in a consultation forum for research conducted in her LCDA.
The Centre for Housing & Sustainable Development (CHSD) of the University of Lagos and African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) of the University of Manchester U.K. are collaborating on a very important research project tagged “Action Research for Climate Resilience” (AR4CR) and the choice location and focus of the research work is Ajegunle-Ikorodu; a community on the eastern fringes of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA.
In the course of this research work, the researchers needed to reach out to stakeholders in their research location to do their project results dissemination and obtain feedbacks to close the knowledge gaps and strengthen their reports. This will help to create practical strategies to help users validate findings on the ground, identify action entry points, build partnerships, and move from assessment to action, amongst other benefits from the research results. In the final analysis, the forum was a gathering of researchers and the researched community stakeholders to outline the usefulness of the research and to obtain useful feedbacks on how best to use the findings from the Action For Research Climate Resilience on Ajegunle in Agboyi-Ketu LCDA.
In her opening remark, Hon. Adetola Abubakar; Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA asserted that research is indeed the basis of scientific & social knowledge and solutions, every research work being intended to solve specific life problems! She postulated a brilliant definition of research using a popular verse of the Christian scripture; Matthew chapter 7, verse 7. Picking out four key words from the scripture: ASK, SEEK, KNOCK and OPEN, she submitted that this is basically what researchers do!
ASK: The researcher proceeds to ask questions as to the reason why certain identified problems do exist.
SEEK: The researcher moves to the next stage of seeking or searching for answers to their questions.
KNOCK: The researcher probes further, inferring solutions from the “answers” they come up with in the previous stages of the work.
OPEN: Having asked the right questions, searched for the right clues and probed in the right direction; the researcher finally gets it! A whole new world is open, and the solutions to the problems that necessitated the research are obtained!
Everyone in the meeting hall was awed at the brilliant submission of Hon. Adetola Adunni Abubakar and even the University dons learnt from the Chairman’s brief dissertation.
The researchers and discussants at the forum include:
Prof. Timothy Nubi; Founding Director CHSD, University of Lagos
Prof. Olusegun Adeaga; HOD Geography, University of Lagos
Prof. Peter Elias; Co-Director CHSD, University of Lagos
Dr. Esther Tonteh; Centre Manager CHSD, University of Lagos
Dr. Temilade Esan; City Manager ACRC
Chief Moyosola Ayoola Oladunjoye; Baale of Ajegunle-Ikorodu
Hon. Sesan Daini; former Executive Chairman, Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA
Mrs. Bimbo Osobe of Nigerian Federation of Slums and Informal Settlements
Tpl. Olutunde Babawale; Director Physical Planning & Automation MPPUD
Engr. Mrs. Bolanle Magbagbeola; Lagos State Min. of Environment & Water Resources.
Tpl. (Mrs.) Olubunmi Alugbin; Asst. Dir Min. of Physical Planning & Urban Dev
Mr. Victor Eniola; Head Project Media Team AR4CR
Presentations were made by the panel of discussants and salient issues from the research work highlighted. At the end of the forum, every stakeholder had a very good vision of how Ajegunle could be better integrated into the Lagos Mega City using the results of its climate trends and resilience as a panacea for sustainable development and as a template for other similar communities in African Cities.
