30 July 2008
Lagos — The Federal Government is soon to set up a Science and Technology Development Fund to help translate research results into marketable products.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre, according to a statement from the Ministry made this known in Calabar last weekend.
Speaking on "Utilising Science and Technology to drive vision 2020," delivered at the Diaspora Day, she said the fund would also be used to give seed capital to young scientists to start new businesses.
To get the fund started, Mrs. Ekpiwhre said a committee made up of eminent Nigerians and chaired by Professor Oluwa Feyisola Adegoke, chairman of Governing Board of the Nigerian National Merit Award had been set up.
The Committee is expected to advise the federal government and facilitate the joint management and administration of the fund.
Mrs. Ekpiwhre added that the Yar"Adua administration is committed to lifting Nigeria to the next level of technological attainment as demonstrated in the setting up of National Council on Vision 2020 to provide leadership and direction in galvanising the whole nation with the President as the Chairman.
Other committees put in place to drive the 2020 vision are the National steering committee, (NSC), National Technical working Group (NTWG) and the Stakeholders Development Committee (SDC) in addition to the 7-Point Agenda.
In order to develop Science and Technology human capital from the bottom up, the government would increase the science and technology content of our school curricula, she added.
According to the Minister, the main cause of our underdevelopment is Nigeria's inability to create and apply knowledge.
She said while many of the industrialised countries of the world are poorly endowed with natural resources and with inclement weather, they had attained leadership in the world economy through effective application of Science and Technology.
She lamented that while the rest of the world had advanced technologically, Africa was lagging relatively behind.
She said the recent ranking of Nigeria at 71st position out of 75 countries by the UN - Habitat headed by Nigerian Prof. Banji Oyelaran Oyeyinka in Science and Technology innovation Capacity index called for more commitment. She added that surpassing 70 countries (among which are South Africa, china, Israel, Malaysia e.t.c) in 12 years is no mean feat.
Mrs. Ekpiwhre said the Ministry is currently spearheading research efforts and leading action in Nanotechnology geared towards renewable energy and medical therapy
To help revamp ailing industrial sector of the economy, the Ministry is engaged in Innovation studies and Advanced Manufacturing Technology.
The Ministry, she continued, is at present also applying Space and ICT to e-governance, e-commerce and e-administration.
On biotechnology, Mrs. Ekpiwhre said the Ministry is developing drugs and useful enzymes from our plant, adding that it has succeeded in developing, patenting and packaging the famous sickle-cell medications.
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