Creativity and Innovativeness in Building a New Nigeria: The Case of CUDIC 2022 International Conference INTERNATIoNAL Bola A. Akinterinwa The 2022 Caleb University Disruptive Innovation Conference (CUDIC-2022) was held from Tuesday 25th through Thu
The 2022 Caleb University Disruptive Innovation Conference was held from Tuesday 25th through Thursday, 27th October, 2022 at the main campus of the university in Imota. Caleb University is the first private university in Lagos State and CUDIC-2022 was its second international conference held virtually and physically on how to grow and build a new Nigeria that will be capable of meaningfully responding to the challenges of a changing world of globalisation and technology.
The essence of CUDIC 2021 was that it asked ‘what next’? CUDIC 2022 provided one answer to the question, its theme: ‘Innovative Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Sustainable Development.’ The CUDIC 2022 theme is essentially about capability in the utilisation of technology. Consequently, how should innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem be understood? What makes development sustainable? The question raised in 2021was ‘what next?’ and CUDIC 2022 provided many explications to the question.
Thirdly, 57 papers were listed and presented virtually and hybrid. Many of the papers were discussed simultaneously in three syndicate sessions during the 3-day conference. Every paper presentation was followed by a general discussion and was moderated by a relevant and seasoned scholar. Fourthly, most of the papers were jointly prepared and presented. The paper on ‘Passive Design and Sustainability Convergence was done by three authors.
For instance, thinking along the perspectives of Todaro and Smith , Professor Olaniyan explained that ‘development is ‘a multidimensional process that involves major changes in social structures, attitudes, and institutions, as well as economic growth, reduction in inequality, and eradication of absolute poverty.’ In this same vein, ‘sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The epicentre of Sen’s development theory, Mallam Abdullahi explained, is capability and ‘the functioning of each individual depends on the set of actual capabilities with which one is endowed by a road constellation of social factors.