The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has explained the critical role of data in academic research and national development, urging institutions, policymakers, and stakeholders to invest more in data gathering, management, and utilisation.
Prof. Egbewole stated this when he received a delegation from Afrobarometer on a courtesy visit to his office ahead of the team’s engagement with members of the University community in its continental outreach activities.
The Vice Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Moji Taibat Bakare-Odunola, noted that Nigeria’s ability to plan effectively and achieve sustainable development depends largely on the availability and proper use of reliable data, adding that, database generation supports research, enhances innovation, and aids policymakers in formulating targeted and impactful solutions.
The Vice Chancellor commended the Afrobarometer Initiative for its commitment to evidence-based research and its emphasis on public opinion as a tool for addressing societal challenges.
He assured the team of the University’s readiness to collaborate with Afrobarometer in promoting data-driven research and improving access to information that can influence policy and societal progress.
Speaking earlier, the Afrobarometer Capacity Building Manager, Dr Kamal Yakubu, described Nigeria as a vast and vibrant country with enormous potential for data-driven research and evidence-based policymaking.
He noted that the rich body of secondary data already available in Nigeria could be effectively used to triangulate and strengthen primary data sources, thereby improving the quality and reliability of academic research.
Dr Yakubu, however, stated that the Afrobarometer outreach programme is designed to engage with universities across Africa, with the aim of introducing the Afrobarometer platform, building research capacity, and encouraging the use of data in academic and policy-related work.
In his remarks, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Israel Ogunlade, explained that the partnership between the University and Afrobarometer was initiated through the efforts of a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Dr Mercy F. Salami, who came across the pan-African research organisation during an international conference she attended.
Prof. Ogunlade said that Dr Salami discovered that Afrobarometer generates reliable data sets similar to those produced by global institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations (UN). However, it was observed that much of the data produced by Afrobarometer was not being adequately utilised by Nigerian researchers and institutions.
He noted that the Afrobarometer team decided to extend their outreach to the University of Ilorin to introduce their data resources, demonstrate how they can be accessed, and train both staff and students on how to analyse and apply the data for academic and policy-oriented research.
