Every big idea was once a thought that grew into a research phase. In a world driven by constant innovation which births technological advancement, think tanks, research centres and incubation hubs become a necessity to breed, nurture and groom ideas, and watch them blossom into the life-changing form they take at maturity.
The beauty of a research centre is that it is often not saddled with the burden of sharing a space with training and boot camps because its primary objective is innovation, iteration and incubation. More so, in the world of tech, extra emphasis is given to the importance of a well-researched idea, which does not always guarantee success, But provides clear metrics of achievement and feasibility of ideas. This could be in different tech paths, such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Blockchain etc.
The purpose of research is to provide improvement to humanity in areas like education, medical sciences, tourism, agro tech and most importantly, ways of ensuring SUSTAINABILITY.
To this end, structures and plans already exist to create more research centres, however, the major challenge, which is the necessary resources to fulfil this endeavour, remains a problem.
In my years in tech and as a community builder, researcher and mathematician, I have noticed a recurring trend, that is the gross absence of well-funded technological Institutions or Hubs, focused on Research and Development in Nigeria. Even in universities which are purported citadels of learning, yet, research facilities are hardly available.
This leaves a lot of room for improvement and advancement, we can be pioneers of the necessary change. Let's build a system and projects that 10 Years from now, we would smile and be grateful that we actually invested in things that matter.
- Louis Whyte Jonah.