The Minister of State for Science and Technology, Alhaji Mohammed Abudullahi, has pledged more support for science research institutes in the country to achieve sustainable development.
Abudullahi made the pledge at the opening of the 2nd International Conference of Science Communication and Development in Africa on Thursday in Abuja.
Abudullahi, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Bitrus Nabusu, said the President Muhammad Buhari-led Federal Government believed in science and technology to achieve speedy development.
“This explains the encouragement we give to our rich collection of research institutes developing research in various fields for commercialisation.
“I urge our parastatals and research institutes to partner with Nasarawa State University as its builds this significant centre of excellence in science communication,’’ he said.
The minister said supporting the growth of science communication meant developing the capacity of our scientists to leverage on the media and other communication channels to popularise their inventions.
He urged the participants to evolve ideas on how best to fully integrate scientific innovations, by scientists, into the national development process at all levels of government in Nigeria.
In her remarks, Dr Rose Gidado, Country Coordinator, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB-Nigeria), said effective science communication helped scientists to give meaning to their works.
“The need for effective Science Communication is hinged on the premises that it helps scientists to give their work meaning in the eyes of their stakeholders, be it farmers, policy makers, industry, consumers and the general public.
“It is also about putting science into use by helping the public understand research results and making informed choices,’’ she said.
According to her, OFAB Nigeria drives advocacy campaigns on agricultural biotechnology and dispels misconception within the realms of genetic modification technology.
Gidado also said OFAB had been promoting an-all-inclusive communication strategy involving all stakeholders in the industry for informed policy decisions toward ensuring a food secured Nigeria in the face of frightening global food insecurity.
In his presentation, Dr Charles Wando, Training Coordinator of SciDevNet, urged journalists “to humanise science stories and make it simpler for people to understand.“
Wando, in a presentation on “Humanising Science for Development in Africa’’, said humansing science was to give science a human character and make it interesting and at the same address human problems.
“The interest of people is common to science, development and communication, so human being should be at the centre of their reporting,’’ he said.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, Institute of Strategic and Development Communication (ISDEVCOM), Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura, thanked the Federal Government and the sponsors for making the conference a success.
Dandaura said the conference, organised by the Nasarawa State University, Keffi and the University of Makerere, Kampala, Uganda bought stakeholders in the science and communications sector across Africa.
No fewer than 200 participants comprise scholars, policymakers, scientists, communication specialists, and legislators across Africa are attending the conference.
The theme of 3-day conference is the “Humanising Science- Optimising Innovation and Communication for Development in Africa.”
