Problems of Research in Nigeria & Solutions
Share
Tweet
0
Shares
Research is a largely under-rated topic. Many do not see its essence
or importance and hence hiss it off. When you ask an average Nigerian
what research is, they can simply define it as that ‘project
thing’ they do at the end of a four- or five-year course in the
university. However, research is not merely a written document that is
useful for academic circles only, it is pivotal to every aspect of a
country and is essential for development plans especially in a
developing country such as Nigeria. Research is the careful, detailed,
and systematic collection of data in order to increase knowledge in a
field of study. Research also helps to inform actions to be taken for
the betterment of society at large.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Research is needed in every area of life such as medical, sciences,
agricultural, economic, education, general human life, culture, and
social studies. For example, in the educational sector, it is only
when educational researchers collect data on a particular problem and
do the appropriate research based on these data that accurate and
precise solutions to the problem can be recommended. The government
can then be guided on policies and laws to be made to solve the
problem. Research is also useful and can be translated into economic
development which will help to eliminate poverty and improve quality
of life. The question however is, why can we not see the benefits of
research in Nigeria as other developed nations of the world are doing.
What are the problems with research in Nigeria?
Problems of Research in Nigeria & Solutions
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Read on below:
Lack of funding
This is the major and bedrock hindrance to effective research in
Nigeria. It is difficult to have credible research activities in
Nigeria due to lack of funding. The government does not see the
importance of research and will prefer to divert funds to other
businesses such as political activities.
Inaccessibility to data and information
Nigeria has a country has always suffered from poor record-keeping
over the years. The inaccessibility to needed data to conduct
qualitative research is a huge hindrance to the success of research in
Nigeria. You will barely find a database where researchers can easily
retrieve data and information needed. Also, information on the
internet and even in print are usually expensive these days so most
researchers abandon the project before they even start. A solution to
this problem is if the government can collaborate with other corporate
and private organizations operating within the country to provide
researchers with subsidized access to any information needed for
conducting their research in Nigeria.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Ineffective education system
The problem of research in Nigeria cannot be simply tackled at the
surface level, it runs deeper. In order to have effective researches,
we must have well trained students starting from basic education right
up to tertiary institutions. For example, most Nigerian schools only
teach students about the theoretical aspect of research and not how to
practically apply the knowledge found to other areas of life. Without
a functional educational system that teaches researchers to-be on how
to read extensively and write well, there will be little hope left for
research in the future.
Poor technological advancement
Most researchers in Nigeria only know of the traditional methods of
researching. Nowadays, data that are useful for research are stored in
a technological database online. A researcher who does not know how to
operate these will not be able to conduct research effectively and
this would affect the quality of research. A solution to this problem
is that technical skills and learnings should be inculcated in the
school curriculum to efficiently prepare students for research.
Lack of Equipment
Most of the research activities take place in tertiary institutions
and research institutes. However, most of these institutes and
universities lack equipment for carrying out proper research projects.
In Nigeria, modern research equipment and laboratories (for the
sciences) are hard to find, there is also the use of archaic
educational facilities and research infrastructure such as libraries.
An example of the poor state of infrastructure in Nigerian schools is
the libraries. These libraries are usually understocked only with old
research materials that are not useful to modern-day research.
Nigerian libraries need to be up to date and stocked with new rules,
reports, and publications. The functional libraries in Nigeria are
usually private-owned and expensive for the average researcher. The
government needs to make policies through the ministry of education
that will make such basic equipment as well-stocked libraries and
laboratories compulsory.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Lack of Collaboration
Since Nigerian universities and research institutes are not
well-equipped, it is necessary to collaborate with scientists in
advanced countries so we can come up with better researches in
Nigeria. Such collaboration majorly includes the use of
state-of-the-art equipment that is available in advanced countries,
access to up-to-date data, and information that will be used to make
researches and discoveries that can be converted into practical and
relevant applications for the Nigerian environment.
Illiteracy of the masses
Most Nigerians do not see the value in research because of the culture
where education is not valued. Even those who go to higher
institutions and are expected to be enthusiastic about research are
usually not interested. Students often look for the easiest and
quickest means to do their research work, even if it means plagiarism
and other crooked means. If those trained in school cannot be properly
educated on the importance and relevance of research, then it will be
hard for anyone to take research seriously. Students need to be
willing to go through the rigorous task of reading and sourcing for
information. Many do research work just for academic reasons such as
passing an examination, publishing in journals, etc. The average
student and researcher need to be re-orientated. Many do not realize
that their research work has to be applicable in the specific area of
study.
Lack of proper research ethics
There are principles of ethics that should be followed when conducting
any form of research. The basics include non-plagiarism, the
authenticity of work, secrecy when given access to data and
information, etc. Researchers in Nigeria must be well trained to be
aware of these ethics, principles, and approach and to abide by them
in order to make sure research is qualitative.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
jQuery(document).ready(function( $) { $.post(
'https://nigerianfinder.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', {action:
'mts_view_count', id: '291005'}); });
Share
Tweet
0
Shares
Tweet
0
Shares
Research is a largely under-rated topic. Many do not see its essence
or importance and hence hiss it off. When you ask an average Nigerian
what research is, they can simply define it as that ‘project
thing’ they do at the end of a four- or five-year course in the
university. However, research is not merely a written document that is
useful for academic circles only, it is pivotal to every aspect of a
country and is essential for development plans especially in a
developing country such as Nigeria. Research is the careful, detailed,
and systematic collection of data in order to increase knowledge in a
field of study. Research also helps to inform actions to be taken for
the betterment of society at large.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Research is needed in every area of life such as medical, sciences,
agricultural, economic, education, general human life, culture, and
social studies. For example, in the educational sector, it is only
when educational researchers collect data on a particular problem and
do the appropriate research based on these data that accurate and
precise solutions to the problem can be recommended. The government
can then be guided on policies and laws to be made to solve the
problem. Research is also useful and can be translated into economic
development which will help to eliminate poverty and improve quality
of life. The question however is, why can we not see the benefits of
research in Nigeria as other developed nations of the world are doing.
What are the problems with research in Nigeria?
Problems of Research in Nigeria & Solutions
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Read on below:
Lack of funding
This is the major and bedrock hindrance to effective research in
Nigeria. It is difficult to have credible research activities in
Nigeria due to lack of funding. The government does not see the
importance of research and will prefer to divert funds to other
businesses such as political activities.
Inaccessibility to data and information
Nigeria has a country has always suffered from poor record-keeping
over the years. The inaccessibility to needed data to conduct
qualitative research is a huge hindrance to the success of research in
Nigeria. You will barely find a database where researchers can easily
retrieve data and information needed. Also, information on the
internet and even in print are usually expensive these days so most
researchers abandon the project before they even start. A solution to
this problem is if the government can collaborate with other corporate
and private organizations operating within the country to provide
researchers with subsidized access to any information needed for
conducting their research in Nigeria.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Ineffective education system
The problem of research in Nigeria cannot be simply tackled at the
surface level, it runs deeper. In order to have effective researches,
we must have well trained students starting from basic education right
up to tertiary institutions. For example, most Nigerian schools only
teach students about the theoretical aspect of research and not how to
practically apply the knowledge found to other areas of life. Without
a functional educational system that teaches researchers to-be on how
to read extensively and write well, there will be little hope left for
research in the future.
Poor technological advancement
Most researchers in Nigeria only know of the traditional methods of
researching. Nowadays, data that are useful for research are stored in
a technological database online. A researcher who does not know how to
operate these will not be able to conduct research effectively and
this would affect the quality of research. A solution to this problem
is that technical skills and learnings should be inculcated in the
school curriculum to efficiently prepare students for research.
Lack of Equipment
Most of the research activities take place in tertiary institutions
and research institutes. However, most of these institutes and
universities lack equipment for carrying out proper research projects.
In Nigeria, modern research equipment and laboratories (for the
sciences) are hard to find, there is also the use of archaic
educational facilities and research infrastructure such as libraries.
An example of the poor state of infrastructure in Nigerian schools is
the libraries. These libraries are usually understocked only with old
research materials that are not useful to modern-day research.
Nigerian libraries need to be up to date and stocked with new rules,
reports, and publications. The functional libraries in Nigeria are
usually private-owned and expensive for the average researcher. The
government needs to make policies through the ministry of education
that will make such basic equipment as well-stocked libraries and
laboratories compulsory.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Lack of Collaboration
Since Nigerian universities and research institutes are not
well-equipped, it is necessary to collaborate with scientists in
advanced countries so we can come up with better researches in
Nigeria. Such collaboration majorly includes the use of
state-of-the-art equipment that is available in advanced countries,
access to up-to-date data, and information that will be used to make
researches and discoveries that can be converted into practical and
relevant applications for the Nigerian environment.
Illiteracy of the masses
Most Nigerians do not see the value in research because of the culture
where education is not valued. Even those who go to higher
institutions and are expected to be enthusiastic about research are
usually not interested. Students often look for the easiest and
quickest means to do their research work, even if it means plagiarism
and other crooked means. If those trained in school cannot be properly
educated on the importance and relevance of research, then it will be
hard for anyone to take research seriously. Students need to be
willing to go through the rigorous task of reading and sourcing for
information. Many do research work just for academic reasons such as
passing an examination, publishing in journals, etc. The average
student and researcher need to be re-orientated. Many do not realize
that their research work has to be applicable in the specific area of
study.
Lack of proper research ethics
There are principles of ethics that should be followed when conducting
any form of research. The basics include non-plagiarism, the
authenticity of work, secrecy when given access to data and
information, etc. Researchers in Nigeria must be well trained to be
aware of these ethics, principles, and approach and to abide by them
in order to make sure research is qualitative.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
jQuery(document).ready(function( $) { $.post(
'https://nigerianfinder.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', {action:
'mts_view_count', id: '291005'}); });
Share
Tweet
0
Shares
Comments
Post a Comment