As popularly known, science, technology, and innovation, has always been an important aspect in the non-oil sector in the development of a nation.
One of the drivers of the present administration is diversifying from the usual oil to the non-oil sector.
BINTA SHAMA writes.
The road map Just recently the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) had series of events to achieve the dream of diversifying from a resource based to a knowledge base economy.
T h e M i n i s t e r F M S T D r.
Ogbonnaya Onu advocated a ScienceCentred Security Policy for effective deployment of this sector for cultural transformation and promotion of national security in Nigeria.
This took place while he was delivering a lecture on the theme “Cultural Values, Security, Science and Technology: Optimizing the Linkage and Opportunities” to participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 11 of the Institute of Security studies (ISS) in Abuja.
Ethnic groups as challenge He said the management of over 500 ethnic groups, with different cultural values posed a challenge to national security as witnessed in numerous communal conflicts, religious tension, social upheaval and economic conflicts.
“The Vision, creativity, Innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of the science and technology community is all that we need to overcome the challenges arising from our cultural diversity so as to promote national security and help build a secure future for our country.
It is when this is done that we will then be able to effectively face the challenges of combating insurgency and many conflicts so as to safeguard our national security,“ he stated.
The dialogue Furthermore, he emphasised that strengthening the dialogue between policy makers and scientists as well as boosting federal support for science and technology is crucial to national security and the prosperity of the nation.
“This will undoubtedly have a positive effect on national security.
Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation will provide the instrument for cultural transformation and maximization of national security benefits for sustainable national development”.
He added.
Several opportunities in S&T The Minister said the linkages between science and technology is replete with a lot of opportunities, adding that new jobs and wealth can be created through an efficient utilization of this relationship as tourism contributes huge resource’s to the economy of many countries.
Similarly, the federal government established two agencies to achieve As popularly known, science, technology, and innovation, has always been an important aspect in the non-oil sector in the development of a nation.
One of the drivers of the present administration is diversifying from the usual oil to the non-oil sector.
BINTA SHAMA writes.
Minister Science and Technology, Dr.
Ogbonnaya Onu Permanent Secretary FMST, Bitrus Bako Nabasu effective industrialization.
New agencies They are namely; the National Agency for Desertification and Erosion Research (NADER) and the National Agency for Research in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (NARRAI) in the country.
Onu disclosed that the decision to establish the Agencies was reached at the last meeting of National Research and Innovation Council.
He declared this at the official inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for their establishment in Abuja.
The minister said the establishment of the two agencies will also broaden the scope of scientific knowledge in the best interest of the country, challenged members of the Committee to see their assignment with a sense of urgency and come up with a practicable and robust template to actualize effective take-off of the two agencies.
“There is no way Nigeria can achieve effective industrialization without investment in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence because it is critical to manufacturing, health care delivery and transportation.
The proposed agencies will provide the platform to train Nigerians on the utilization of Artificial Intelligence to fast-track Nigeria’s economic growth and industrialization”.
“To be a great nation, Nigeria cannot continue to rely on other nations.
With this latest development in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, I believe it will boost our knowledge of space, Ocean and Development as a nation.
Workable template The Chairman of the Committee and Director Science and Technology Promotion Department, Dr.
Ekanem Udoh, assured the minister that the committee will come up with a workable template that would stand the test of time and meet the aspirations of the federal government and Nigerians at large.
On the other hand, the Permanent Secretary FMST, Mr.
Bitrus Bako Nabasu at the closing ceremony of the 2018 seminar on the Construction and Management of Water Conservancy and Hydropower projects in Abuja said the Federal Government is poised to boost technical capacity in some focal MDA’s and develop small hydropower potential sites so as to achieve energy demand of the country.
Inadequate electricity According to Nabasu, insufficient power generation had been the bane of the Nigerian economy, adding that the Federal Government is exploring different options including renewable energy to solve the problem.
Commending the Chinese government for training 61 Nigerians on the construction and management of water conservancy and hydropower project for small hydropower potential sites in the country.
He added that the training would equip participants with requisite knowledge and skills to boost Nigerian’s hydropower potentials for economic development.
The Chief Engineer of the International Centre on Small Hydropower, Prof.
Tan Qiangqing said that the seminar is the first overseas training course that Chinese government holds in the field of hydropower development in Nigeria to meet the needs of Nigeria’s power sector.
Capacity cooperation Qiangqing said the seminar marked the beginning of the capacity cooperation between the government of China and Nigeria and promised to organize more successful and fruitful training course together with Nigerian government next year.
The Director-General of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Dr.
Haruna Mohammed disclosed that many power projects are presently ongoing but that the country needed a rapid, sustained and easily deplorable technologies that would produce maximum and responsive results, adding that this is the best reasons why small hydro power is one of the best options of power system infrastructure that we must pursue.
