FG Targets To Build Knowledge, Innovation Driven Economy

The Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, STI, has pledged to lead the way to making Nigeria’s economy to depend more on knowledge that is innovation driven rather than depending entirely on commodities.

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who made the pledge while inaugurating the governing boards and councils under the supervision of the ministry said, they will accomplish that through local production of all things presently imported from abroad.

He expressed worry that Nigeria’s institutions are ranked among the weakest globally in the World Economic Forum, Global Competitiveness Report, which he said can be surmounted if all hands are on deck.

Dr. Onu charged the new board members to be active in the ministry’s repositioning and strengthening efforts to contribute to national development efforts of the Buhari administration to lift one hundred million people out of poverty within the next decade using the enormous power of Science, Technology and Innovation.

He said the ministry is poised to engaging the subnational levels of governance to provide opportunity to use STI in the supply value chain in agriculture, production, business development of Micro, Small Medium Enterprises and the academia in a constructive strategic framework.

Earlier, the minister of state for the ministry, Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi, told members of the board that their appointment was a call to serve and therefore, expected to work towards assisting the federal government’s drive to alleviate poverty.

A representative of the chairman, Senate Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, Honourable Micah Umoh, challenged Nigerian Scientists to rise up to the present situation in the country and utilize their knowledge to enhance Nigeria’s capacity to develop.

For the Permanent Secretary, Edet Sunday Akpan, and the Legal Advisor of the Ministry, Barrister Yvonne Odu, the board members have important roles to play in achieving the mandate of the Federal Government and as such, must adhere to the rules and regulations guiding their agencies.

One of the newly inaugurated board members, Dr. Uche Egenti, said the appointment will spur him to work harder to ensure that the plan of the ministry for Nigeria and Nigerians is translated into action.