PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that researches embarked upon by universities must henceforth seek to identify and provide solutions to pressing local problems that stand in the way to the nation’s economic development.

According to Jonathan, research in the universities “can no longer be left to be the whims and caprices of researchers just for the sole purpose of advancing their career prospects”.

The president spoke yesterday at 4th convocation of the Michael Okpara Univerity of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State. The president was represented by the minister of state for education, Chief Kenneth Gbagi. “Research in our universities must seek to solve practical problems and thus contribute to human well-being and the pool of the nation’s development efforts.

Beyond relevant, problem-solving research, universities should also be able to install appropriate mechanisms for translating research results into the forms and quantities that are usable by the larger society.

“Any products of the universities in manpower development and research output that fall of these benchmarks will constitute luxury that we cannot afford at this stage of our national development”, Jonathan noted.

He reiterated his administration’s effort aimed at re-engineering the education sector in order to reposition “our primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions”.

“Our educational institutions must also be able to deliver quality manpower consistent with our desire for national economic development”, he further charged the universities.