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Ekpiwhre And The Science And Technology Reform By Abubakar Aminu
The Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre has a very Herculean task ahead of her. The task is not made easier by the obstacles on her path, both human and institutional, that seemingly appear insurmountable like the proverbial albatross of the ancient mariner.
Essentially, the task is that of liberating Science and Technology from the incubator, as it were, and placing it at the service of the good people of Nigeria.
But the good old lady remains undaunted at the enormity of the task ahead. The pivotal role of science and Technology in the social-economic development of any nation is universally acknowledged. The history of Europe, nay the western nation, cannot be complete, without acknowledging the role played by its scientists, especially during The Enlightenment.
Long before the Enlightenment, Scientists had always stood apart from the larger society, carrying on as if science and society were two poles apart. The moment the ‘ bug’ of Science caught up with the people in the Western World, Society began to experience an unprecedented progress in all spheres of national life.
It is with this consciousness in mind that the Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre felt impelled that the time for the Nigerian Scientific Renaissance is NOW! She therefore summoned a Retreat for all the Management and top-Executives of the ministry and relevant stake-holders in the sleepy city of Warri.
She did not mince words in stating the mission of the Retreat and in telling the participants some bitter truths. Said she: “The purpose of this gathering is principally to map out strategies on how our Parastatals and Agencies that conduct Research and Development (R&D) would pursue a paradigm shift from the practice of conducting research and leaving such R&D results in the shelves. The challenge of successful commercialization of the Ministry’s R&D results should be a matter of serious concern that should be attended to during this gathering”
While echoing this clarion call, it is Mrs Ekpiwhre’s belief that if Nigeria is to make progress at all in science, Technology and Innovations we must collectively resolve to champion the cause of enabling Science, Technology to drive development
Mrs Ekpiwhre is unhappy at the fact that Nigeria is being left behind by even supposed small African nations who have matched actions with their desire to achieve results in very many spheres of ICT infrastructural development, connectivity and capacity building.
S0 what is to be done? It was the consensus of experts at the Retreat that Nigeria’s quest to be among the twenty leading economies of the world by the year 2020 cannot be attained unless the necessary Science and Technology Infrastructure is put in place.
According to Prof. Anya O. Anya, a national Merit Award Winner, nations that devote less than 20% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to Research and Development (R&D) do not transit to the Fast –paced development trajectory. It is regrettable that Nigeria only devotes 0. 1% to 0.4% of its G.D.P. to funding of Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation.
Infant, the much-touted Chinese economic miracle was only attainable through enormous investment in Science and Technology infrastructure and human capital development.
To Nigerian Scientists therefore, Mrs. Ekpiwhre said they must set up and realize that it cannot be business as usual, insisting that actions that lead to concrete results are what is demanded of them. In the shortest possible time, she challenge the Parastatals and Agencies to develop short, medium and long term programs that would key into the Seven Point Agenda of the new administration. No doubt, Nigeria is highly blessed with rich potentials, that could be properly harnessed to solve the endemic problems of Poverty, Unemployment, Food Scarcity, disease, environmental degradation, insecurity, over dependence on Crude oil and unstable Power supply. Science and Technology sector has the solutions to all these problems.
What is required is increased government and private sector support and collaboration to work to wards finding the solutions.
Nigerian is endowed with an array of Research Institutes which have a lot Research and Development Potentials. The Ministry must therefore work out an effective Synergy between these Institutes and the Industrial Sector.
In addition, outputs from our Research and Development efforts must be tailored towards meeting our national needs.
The minister’s call for a paradigm shift on the part of our scientists is therefore apposite at this point in time when Scientific and Technological Knowledge and information have become the key Factors of production and major determinant of International trade.
The success recorded by Nigeria in space programme is a welcome development with its concomitant technology transfer component.
In fact, 30 Nigerian engineers were trained on the technology and the management of the system.
The 1st Nigerian observatory satellite, the Niger Sat I was the first to bring to the world the Images of the Katrina Flood disasters in the Unites States.
Nigeria is scheduled to launch another Satellite, the Niger Sat II, which goes into orbit at the end of the life of the current Niger Sat I in 2009. 25 Nigerian engineers are currently being trained in Surrey, England, and are said to be building a 100% Nigerian Satellite called Niger Sat X.
In other sector like Biotechnology and Chemical Technology, the Ministry has continued to make significant headway. The development and launching of prototype machines and equipment by the Zaria –based Institute of Chemical Technology for the extraction of essential oils from plants and grass is a good example of technology breakthrough.
Needless to say, the Ministry’s technology Incubation Centres have become a training spot for young artisans, creating jobs and opportunities for young Nigerians.
The Minister must strive to see that the Research X (institutes are upgraded and re-engineered to be involved in more research activities that are market driven, as well as strengthen the effective linkage between researchers and entrepreneurs and industrialists.
In addition, the Minister should encourage more collaboration among the various research institutes so as to ensure result-oriented synergy.
As suggested by Prof Mohammed Hassan of the Italy-based Academy of Sciences for Developing World, It is high time Nigeria prioritised its Scientific endeavours in such critical areas like Biotechnologies, ICT, Space Science, Nanotechnologies and basic scoemces.
On a final note, the development of Science and Technology must be integrated with the overall national development paradigm of the nation and must be backed with adequate funding. The Federal Government must not only pay up-service to the development of science in this knowledge-based economy. There can be no better time to push the Scientific agenda on the front burner than now when the president and his Deputy are both Scientists.
The President should ensure that Nigeria reaches the African Union-Target of one percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as decided for each African country. If it must reach its scientific destination.
It is sad to note that only Rwanda (3%) and South Africa (1%) have reach the target while Nigeria, with its aboundant human and material resources has yet to reach the 1% target .
In the final analysis, the Warri Retreat is a veritable step forward. It is hope that the consensus and resolutions arrived at would not be allowed to gather dust.
Herein lies the path to Nigeria’s technological and Scientific renaissance. |