Director
The Institute for Development Research (IDR) was established on July 1, 1998. It was established with the aim of undertaking cutting-edge research into development issues and problems that confront Nigeria specifically. However, in order to be part of a larger community of researchers, IDRT has interest in issues in the West Africa sub-region and in Africa as a whole. It is also an Institute with interest in global development issues and engages in collaborative research with counterpart institutes and centers in other parts of the world. In this way it becomes part of the development debates and discourses taking place globally. Additionally, it is responsible for conducting workshops, seminars, public lectures and conferences in the pursuit of this objective. In January, 2015, the Director of Academic Planning was directed to ensure the transfer of sub-degree programmes and post graduates Diploma programmes to institutes and centres in line with the directive given by Nigerian University Commission (NUC). Based on this meeting, an agreement was reached to transfer all the sub-degree programmes in the Faculties of Arts, and Social Sciences, as well as in the Urban and Regional Planning, to Institute for Development Research (IDR). Additionally, it is responsible for conducting workshops, seminars, public lectures and conferences in the pursuit of this objective. In January, 2015, the Director of Academic Planning was directed to ensure the transfer of sub-degree programmes and post graduates Diploma programmes to institutes and centres in line with the directive given by Nigerian University Commission (NUC). Based on this meeting, an agreement was reached to transfer all the sub-degree programmes in the Faculties of Arts, and Social Sciences, as well as in the Urban and Regional Planning, to Institute for Development Research (IDR). It was also agreed that the name of Institute for Development Research (IDR) be amended to accommodate the new responsibilities, hence, the name was changed to Institute for Development Research and Training (IDR&T). In an attempt to reposition the Institute to greater heights, and make it part of a larger community of researchers, it has initiated policies of collaboration with organizations with similar interests in the West Africa’s sub-region and in Africa as a whole in collaborative research with counterpart institutes and centres in other parts of the world .
At its inception in 1998, the IDR was designed to also take over the responsibilities of Centre for Nigerian Cultural Studies (CNCS) and Centre for Social and Economic Research (CSER) which were scrapped in January, 1998. It is important to note that these Centres had developed a multitude of professional programmes, publications and activities which greatly stamped them on the academic map of the country, region and to some extent the world as a whole. In part, the Institute inherited such assets including audio visual materials, museums and library collections of CNCS, CSER as well as the former School of Basic Studies libraries. However, IDR have had a period of relative stasis and decline since the proscription of the centres in January, 1998. The objective of creating the new institution in the form of the IDR was for it to also assume the responsibility for the promotion of academic excellence, and relevance, in terms of the most basic and primary responsibility of the University as an academic establishment i.e. Research and Development (R & D) matters.
In January, 2015, the Director of Academic Planning was directed to ensure the transfer of sub-degree programmes and post graduates Diploma programmes to institutes and centres in line with the directive given by Nigerian University Commission (NUC). Based on this meeting, an agreement was reached to transfer all the sub-degree programmes in the Faculties of Arts, and Social Sciences, as well as in the Urban and Regional Planning, to Institute for Development Research (IDR). It was also agreed that the name of Institute for Development Research (IDR) be amended to accommodate the new responsibilities, hence, the name was changed to Institute for Development Research and Training (IDR&T). In an attempt to reposition the Institute to greater heights, and make it part of a larger community of researchers, it has initiated policies of collaboration with organizations with similar interests in the West Africa’s sub-region and in Africa as a whole in collaborative research with counterpart institutes and centres in other parts of the world.