Abuja — The Federal Government has approved the siting of a $100 million Nelson Mandela Foundation for Knowledge-Building and the Advancement of Science and Technology in Nigeria, to take care of the West African sub-region.

The foundation, to be funded internationally from Africa and donor agencies like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, is also expected to be sited in locations in southern, central and North Africa at about $100 million each.

Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Turner Isoun, who disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the weekly Federal Executive Coun-cil (FEC) meeting chaired by President Olusegun Obasanjo, however, said that Nigeria's qualification to host was "still subject to negotiations and approvals to make sure that we qualify for the criteria that determine the hosting."

Isoun, while emphasising that science and technology and knowledge are what drive the world's economy, stated that "it is very difficult to give a figure (cost of the foundation) and that is why Nigeria is being approached. We have to raise money and Nigeria will be able to host it. Well, if I may suggest, it is something in the region of $100 million. If you want a figure to establish a world class centre of excellence, we should be able to spend at least $100 million.

"So, we are hoping that the Mandela Foundation would fit into the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), will also fit into the on-going national programmes so that they would be complementary. We hope that it will also energise the research going on in the universities and also energise the research going on in the parastatals. So, I believe that it will be complementary and that there will be no duplication."

Isoun added that the basic idea is that the foundation will have two important vehicles as mechanisms of implementation which would be the African Institute for Science and Technology and the Sub-Saharan African Learning Network.

"The first mechanism is modeled after a pilot scheme that has worked in other countries like India, the United States where you have institutions dedicated to the advancement of science and technology, like the Indian Institute of Science and Techno-logy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology."

Isoun stated that Nigeria's bias to hosting the centre for the West African sub-region "is that there are certain thriving front-line technologies in the world economy and we have started seeing that in Nigeria and the Nelson Mandela Foundation will look into it. And these front-line areas include information technology, biotechnology, space science, small and medium enterprises, computer development and control, methods of processing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to make sure that they turn out world-class products.

"And also importantly to emphasise basic research and to make sure that we produce the human capacity. And that the people have the appropriate knowledge to generate the basic information because if you generate basic information and then patent, then capture a special market which will be special to you, you will be able to enjoy that market for a while before it goes to others."

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu, giving further insight into the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said that "it is an African initiative and is being seen as a major African response to the need to drive science and technology in the continent. It has been decided that as a way of propelling the development of science and technology infrastructure on the African continent, that four centres of excellence should be established.

"The funding of this initiative is to come from international institutions, donor agencies, and organisations like the United Nations. It is an international African initiative with world support to drive science and technology in the African continent. So, it is an honour for Nigeria to have the opportunity to host such a world class facility. And certainly, the output from this facility will strengthen our own institutions that are in existence," he added.

The FEC also yesterday approved N96.7 million for the phase two pilot irrigation project in Birni Kebbi as well as erosion control in Zauro, Kebbi State.