The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, on Tuesday revealed plans by President BolaTinubu to use science and innovation to fight hunger and poverty in Nigeria.
The Minister also revealed that the government is using technology to address insecurity.
He spoke at the opening ceremony of the consultative General Assembly of the West African Network of National Academies of Sciences (WANNAS).
The three day meeting will end on Thursday.
He said, “It is imperative to inform you that the Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR is desirous to fight hunger and poverty through the utilization of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
“In our determination to fight poverty in Nigeria, we have empowered many
Nigerians with requisite skills through capacity building in the areas of fabrication
“of machines, leather technology, solar energy, finishing of buildings, small hydro turbines for power generation, etc.
“We have equipped many entrepreneurs with
home-grown technologies to help them grow their businesses for job creation.
“We are committed in solving important national problems in a timely manner
and hence we are collaborating with other Ministries and Agencies of the Federal and State Governments, including Local Governments, as well as Researchers,
Universities, Industry, the Organized Private Sector (OPS), and the Media.
“This has set in motion an innovative and home-grown value added programs through research and innovation that are useful in achieving sustainable job creation and poverty alleviation, at the sub-national level.
“It is a home-grown model of socio-economic
transformation designed to sustainably break the persisting silos, thereby
institutionalizing collaboration to prepare for the security and prosperity of
“I like to further inform you that the Ministry is doing the needful in securing the country through our activities and programmes, geared towards job creation and wealth generation,” the minister said.
He said the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology was determined to diversify the Nigerian economy, stressing that it was one of the major agenda of the Federal Government through the application of Science, technology and Innovation apparatus.
The minister noted that all through history, no nation had ever become great without paying sufficient attention to Science and Technology (S&T), adding that some countries that were ravaged by war and conflicts, recovered, rebuilt their infrastructure and later became rich and wealthy because they utilized Innovation, Science and Technology for nation building.
“The Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, having realized the role of Innovation in the industrial revolution, has developed many policies and programmes that are critical to the advancement of the sector,” he said.
While noting that the interdependence of West African countries innovatively, calls for synergy and collaboration in all spheres of development, he charged the sub-region to switch to STI and maximize the opportunities embedded therein, saying it would strengthen its currencies and combat the exchange rate syndrome.
He said the academia must lay a good foundation for ECOWAS to leverage on, saying the National Academies of Sciences was paramount in propagąting the campaign of a switch to innovation and industrialization the region yearned for.
“Permit me to conclude with a sincere appeal for synergy and collaboration among the West African Sub-region; that would quicken our quest for sustainable economic development through the utilization of the STI sector,” he said.
Also speaking, Prof. Fatou Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, explained that WANNAS was a group of experts, a think-thank that could play a major role in finding solutions to numerous issues confronting the society at national, local, regional and global levels.
“The reason for our gathering today is important for the development of our countries. In fact, the living standards of a nation depend on the abundance of scientific development and technology.
“This lies in the capacity of its actors to find viable solutions to the problems of the society and contribute to the sociology-economic development of our countries,” she said.
