26th August 2025
By Peter Omopo
A Professor of Community Medicine and Public Health at the University of Ibadan, Eme Owoaje, has challenged African researchers to ensure their work addresses the continent’s pressing problems rather than focusing on foreign models or limiting findings to academic journals.
Speaking at the Fifth Biennial Conference and Workshop of the Association of Science Laboratory Technologists of Nigeria (ASLTON), University of Ibadan Chapter, Owoaje stressed that only Africans could provide lasting solutions to Africa’s peculiar challenges.
“After conducting your research, you have to make it applicable to society,” she said, urging researchers to translate findings into practical solutions that improve lives.
The three-day conference, held from August 19 to 21 at the Faculty of Pharmacy Auditorium, was themed: “The Tripod Stand in the University: The Role of Science Laboratories in Transformational Research and Sustainable Management.”
Also addressing participants, Prof. Olubukola Adenubi of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, who represented the keynote speaker, Prof. Abiodun Denloye, emphasised the importance of universities in driving societal change.
“That tripod of the university consists of teaching, research and community service. None of them must break. The knowledge generated in the university should have a direct impact on the larger society,” she said.
She highlighted the centrality of science laboratories in this process, describing them as platforms for data generation, practical exposure, and breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, engineering, and other fields.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, represented by his Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership), Prof. Oluyemisi Bamgbose (SAN), praised laboratory technologists as “the unseen engine room in the university research process.”
“They are not just cleaners of tables and glasses in the laboratory; they keep accurate data, take care of equipment, and ensure quality assurance. They also play vital roles in training students and staff,” Adebowale noted.
In her remarks, President of ASLTON (UI Chapter), Dr. Elizabeth Joel, said the conference was designed to equip technologists with new knowledge and tools for self-appraisal. She, however, lamented poor funding as a major setback for laboratory research in Nigeria.
The event drew participants from academia, government, and the media, including UI Registrar, G. O. Saliu; Acting Director-General of the Nigeria Institute of Science Laboratory Technology, Dr. Peter Oluwafisoye; and NTA Ibadan Zonal Director, Iterogba Taiwo.
