Senator Idiat Adebule Urges Lagos Assembly to Expedite Passage of Lagos Innovation Bill at LASU Research Fair

The Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District, Senator (Dr) Idiat Oluranti Adebule, has called on the Lagos State House of Assembly to fast-track the passage of the Lagos Innovation Bill, describing it as a crucial legislative framework that would strengthen research, innovation, and collaboration in the state.

Senator Adebule, who served as the keynote speaker at the 7th Lagos State University (LASU) Research and Innovation Fair, made the call on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at the Aderemi Makanjuola Lecture Theatre, LASU Main Campus, Ojo.

Themed “Promoting the Quadruple Helix Collaboration: Government, University, Industry and Community,” the Fair brought together researchers, administrators, technocrats, and industry leaders to deliberate on practical solutions to societal challenges.

In her address, the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State emphasised that passing the Innovation Bill would create access to funds and stimulate cutting-edge research capable of driving sustainable development. She further urged industry players to partner with tertiary institutions and research labs to direct innovation towards real-world problems and community needs.

“LASU must ensure that research listens to the people; solutions should be bottom-up, while also benefiting from top-down motivation and funding,” she stated.

Senator Adebule also praised the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, mni, NPOM, for positioning LASU as a dynamic hub for innovation and excellence in higher education.

Chairman of the occasion and immediate past Pro-Chancellor of LASU, Sir David O. Sunmoni, KJW, FCA, described the Fair’s theme as a clarion call to bridge the gap between policy and practice.

“Innovation thrives not in isolation but in synergy — when government provides enabling policies, universities conduct cutting-edge research, industries drive commercialisation, and communities articulate their needs,” he said.

In her opening remarks, Professor Olatunji-Bello described the annual Fair as a reflection of LASU’s deep institutional commitment to translating knowledge into tangible solutions that address societal challenges. She underscored the importance of the Quadruple Helix model as a collaborative framework where all sectors — government, academia, industry, and the community — must work in harmony to achieve sustainable development.

The Vice-Chancellor also lauded the Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM Education (LASU-ACEITSE), led by Professor Rasheed Sanni, for its consistent sponsorship of the event, and Distinguished Professor Babajide Elemo for sponsoring 30 students (20 postgraduate and 10 undergraduate) to attend the Fair.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Professor Adejuwon Adeneye, noted that the Fair marked a milestone in LASU’s mission to promote impactful innovation and knowledge exchange.

Guest speakers included Professor Ibrahim Katampe, Director for Innovation and Technology Incubation at Central State University, Ohio, USA, who presented a paper titled “Translational Research: A Veritable Tool to Attain Sustainable Development Goals Using the Quadruple Helix Approach.”
Also, Professor Abiodun Aibinu, Vice-Chancellor of Summit University, Offa, delivered a virtual lecture on “Sustaining Cybersecurity, Data Protection, and Privacy in Nigerian Universities.”

Awards of appreciation were presented to Senator Adebule, Sir Sunmoni, Professor Olatunji-Bello, Professor Katampe, Professor Aibinu, Professor Sanni, and Professor Elemo for their contributions.

The Registrar, Mr Emmanuel A. Fanu, gave the vote of thanks, after which participants toured the exhibition stands to view innovative projects on display.