In a strategic move to bridge the long-standing gap between academic research and industrial application, the Vice Chancellor of Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Professor Gbenga Ibileye, has inaugurated a high-powered committee to lead the university’s participation in the Next Gen Innovation Challenge 2026. 

This noteworthy event unfolded on Friday, March 13, 2026, during a courtesy visit from the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Kogi State as the State Coordinator, Engr. Omoniyi Bodunwa led the delegation to the university’s management.

The newly formed committee is made of distinguished scholars including Professor Olorunshola Gbenga Alege, Professor Benjamin Mopa Dauda, Professor Afolayan Obiniyi, Professor Kayode Joshua Simonyan, and Engr. Omoniyi Bodunwa.

While addressing the delegation, Professor Ibileye emphasized that the partnership with NBTI aligns perfectly with the university’s vision for its science-related disciplines. 

He noted that Nigeria possesses a wealth of research outputs that often gather dust on library shelves due to a lack of commercialization pathways. 

Consequently, the Vice Chancellor stressed that the university is transitioning toward demand-driven and project-driven research that addresses immediate economic solutions rather than purely futuristic theories.

Earlier in his remarks, Engr. Omoniyi Bodunwa explained that the NBTI holds the unique mandate to facilitate the commercialization of research and development in Nigeria. 

He lamented the historical gap between the academia and the private sector, noting that many incubation centers, including the one in Lokoja, have struggled to reach their full potential since 1999. 

By introducing the Next Gen Innovation platform, the NBTI aims to scale up projects that have reached the commercialization stage. 

Professor Ibileye embraced this collaborative spirit, instructing the Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies, working in collaboration to carefully vet Postgraduate research proposals with global competitiveness in mind.

The Vice Chancellor, in turn, urged the committee to secure the 2026 innovation trophy for FUL , solidifying the university's position as a frontrunner in technological education.

The establishment of this committee signified a crucial change, moving away from "research for promotion" toward "research for production." Professor Ibileye's decision to include the NBTI State Coordinator within the university's innovation committee is a departure from the old ways, dismantling the barriers that have long stifled Nigeria's progress.

This partnership recognizes a fundamental reality: a university's worth isn't just about how many degrees it hands out. It's now about the real-world impact of its innovations and how they address actual challenges in the market. See more pictures here 

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