By Hillary Asemota
It was with renewed vigour, an atmosphere of hope and optimism on Wednesday as the Federal Government through the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (FMSTI), the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital (FCT) found a common ground to transform Nigeria into 21ST industrial hub and a knowledge driven economy using Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
Speaking at the 20th meeting of the National Science, Technology and Innovation (NCSTI), at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja with the theme: ‘Achieving Nigeria’s Competitiveness through Application of STI’ the Minister in charge of FMSTI, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said the overarching focus of the meeting was to set in motion the machinery for Nigeria’s sustainable development.
According to him, STI remains the key that will unlock the tremendous opportunities and liberate the latent energy in the country, explaining further that the Council meeting provides an intersect opportunity for the Federal Government to interact with the State Commissioners to be on same page in the preparation, monitoring and supervision of policies that guide STI in the country.
Onu, said: “This gives FG the opportunity to know what is happening in the states with respect to the application of STI to their development. Also, the State Governments use the meeting to know what is happening in FG operating environment.”
The Minister, recalled with excitement that resolutions arrived at, during the various council meetings were being implemented, adding that many of the policies that were approved by the FEC, owe a lot to the resolutions of the council meetings.
Some of the policies according to him, are the: National STI Roadmap, 2017-2030, the National Strategy for Competitiveness in Raw Materials and Product Development; the Presidential Executive Order No 5, the Methanol Fuel Technology Policy, and the Leather and Leather Products Policy.
These policies, he explained have contributed in improving the global competitiveness ranking of our dear nation, as recorded by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Minister stated, adding: Nigeria’s global competitiveness ranking improved from the position of 124 out of 140 countries by 2015/2016, to a position of 115 out of 140 countries by 2018/2019.
Also, in 2019, the patents facilitated by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), an agency under the supervision of the FMSTI, contributed as high as 65% of the total patents, generated in the country, as this is a clear indication of the contributions of FMSTI to innovation in the country, in an effort to enhance the speedy industrialization of the nation, he said.
He said: “Work is ongoing on new policies, whose draft copies will soon be presented to FEC for approval. These include policies on Nanotechnology, Bioethics, Welding and Welding Related Fields as well as the revised National Energy Policy.”
He expressed optimism that all aspects of our national life will be positively affected, through the effective deployment of STI, we will improve on the nation’s food security, employment generation, infrastructural development, poverty reduction and promotion of national security, he added.
This council, he said, must resolve to continuously promote the advocacy of STI in the nation.
He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, he explained launched the 2022 revised National STI policy at the just concluded 2022 Expo.
The policy document, the Minister emphasized will coordinate and supervise all STI activities in the country, as according to him, the key that will help us, as a nation, to unlock the door of opportunities for our dear nation.
He said: “This policy will help us solve many of our national problems. It will help us educate our people, create jobs for our young and the old alike, fight and defeat poverty among our people particularly in the rural areas, fight ignorance, industrialise the nation, strengthen our economy, secure our nation, provide food security for our people and produce drugs and medicine.
“Therefore, I urge all council members to carefully study this vital document to ensure that we use it to build a nation that the world will respect and Nigerians will be proud of.
“The FMSTI is in a collaborative partnership programme – Horizon Europe for Nigeria, the new Africa initiative. This is a new European Union (EU) framework programme for research and innovation running from 2021 to 2027.
“This programme, when fully implemented, will support research and innovation in all institutions in Nigeria, both public and private. It will involve the participation of Nigerian scientists in the diaspora working with those at home in addition to European scientists and institutions.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught every nation, one lasting lesson, and that is the importance of self-reliance. The current Russia-Ukrainian war, also shows clearly that every nation, both small and big alike must effectively utilize STI to ensure that its territorial integrity will always be protected.
“Also, the adverse effect in the anticipated shortfall in imported wheat for bread production arising from this war, can be ameliorated by utilizing research and innovation work already carried out in the Federal Institute for Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO). FIIRO through research and innovation has produced bread of comparable quality with 20 percent substitution of cassava flour for wheat.
“As I look into the future, I can see that the work of the past years, will yield the desired fruits of progress and development in our dear country.
“I am confident that Nigerians will in the future embrace STI far more than they had done in the past. This is in the overall interest of the nation. It is clear to me that once Nigeria becomes truly self-reliant, our greatness is assured.
In his remark, the Minister of State for Science Technology and Innovation, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi, while commending the Council ecosystem, said the 2022 theme cannot be more apt at a better time than now, considering the efforts of the FMSTI in national development, economic growth and global competitiveness through the development of home-grown innovation capacity and capability in order to minimizing over- dependence on foreign products in the country.
He said it is in Nigeria’s bid to transit from resource-based to a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation and therefore worthy of note that, value-addition to natural resources through the application of STI which is germane for a competitive economy and attainment of sustainable development.
According to him, the ability of Nigeria to compete and prosper depends to a significant extent, more on the deployment of technological capacities and innovations than on exploiting natural resources.
However, he said Nigeria’s global competitiveness is expected to contribute to the job and wealth creation, improving the well-being and quality of life of our people through the production of goods and services and the promotion of the human qualities required for such production.
Given the dwindling oil revenues, he said Nigeria’s ambition is to look inward and commence domestic production of essential raw materials and products, particularly where the country has the comparative advantages, stressing that government’s desire is to build bridges and relevant research and development outcomes to meet industry needs.
