By Giwa SHILE
Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) has reaffirmed its plan to further implement policies that will fast-track ministry’s self-reliance, while enabling sustainable national development.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, made the declaration while addressing journalists on Friday in Abuja.
According to him, the ministry will explore science and technology to innovate and find solutions to tackle national problems through policies by providing food security, job creation, power generation, proving materials to strengthen national security.
“ This is why FMST, under my watch and with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, has succeeded in putting several policies in place to refocus our country on the power of Science, Technology and Innovation(STI).
“We articulated National Science, Technology and Innovation Roadmap, 2017-2030 (NSTIR 2030), designed to provide a binding covenant with relevant stakeholders on the route Nigeria should take to prepare the way for the nation to advance economically.
“This will help deepen the contribution of STI to Nigeria`s sustainable development process in line with the core objectives of the Economy Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020.
“ It is an effort to ensure self –reliance and sustainable national development.”
He expressed optimism that the step would reduce capital flight, enhance local productive capacity, strengthen local manpower development, encourage indigenous technology capacity and enhance national pride, as an independent sovereign nation.
Onu said the number of registered patents, through the assistance of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), rose from 6 in 2015 to 16 in 2016 and as high as 50 in 2017.
According to him, it is a clear evidence that Nigeria is on a steady march toward promoting research capable of stimulating greater improvement in the level of innovation in the country.
He added that the plan was to drive the role of innovation in the commercialization of goods and services necessary to stimulate growth in the national economy.
Onu disclosed that the ministry had initiated a novel National Strategy for competitiveness in Raw Materials and Products Development.
According to him, it is a landmark effort that will enable the country conserve scarce foreign exchange, while producing globally acceptable quality raw materials, other goods and services.
“It is a projected that this will enable Nigeria to save as much as 3.6 trillion Naira from 10.8 per cent of overall imports and create about 4.4 million job within the first five years of its effective implementation,” he said.
The minister stated that President Buhari signed revolutionary Presidential Order No.5 on February 2, for the planning and execution of projects, programmes and contracts with science, engineering and technology component.
He emphasised that the aim of the Presidential Order 5 was to deepen capacity for Nigerian professionals to be active players in Nigeria’s sustainable economic development efforts.
