ABSTRACT
This paper examines the basic role of universities in contemporary Africa. The place of research and development and its impact on Asian, American and European foreign export trade; Asian educational planning for transfer of technology; and major obstacles that militate against research and development in African universities, with emphasis on Nigeria, have been highlighted. It is strongly argued that by repositioning African universities with emphasis on research and development, intellectual property strategic policy could produce African Tigers (African medium economic powers), whereby Africa's dependency on oil and solid minerals, cocoa and tourism would greatly be enhanced by a paradigm shift to human capital development, innovative technology and inventions for wealth creation and foreign export trade.
