The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has said the ministry will work very closely with the Association of Consultant Engineers of Nigeria (ACEN) in areas of infrastructure and development for easy passage of goods and services in the country.
Onu stated this when the association paid him a courtesy visit in his office today (February 15) in Abuja.
The minister said one of the reasons why Executive Order 5 was initiated was to ensure that all Nigerian professionals cease to depend on expatriates and be expatriates themselves, by leading other countries.
Onu equally said that the essence of Executive Order 05 is to use “our professionals as our expatriates” in all infrastructural engagements in the country.
He recalled that, for the past five years, Nigeria has been leading a very silent revolution, depending on commodities that adversely affected her economy. “Incidentally, we cannot control the price of our goods in the market”.
Onu said other countries depended on Nigeria after her independence, but gradually, those countries “have gone on to be knowledge-dependent economies”.
He said that FMSTI has been championing the course to ensure that the economy is dependent on the knowledge that is innovation-driven and, with the support of other ministries, progress is being made on that end and the economy ow diversified.
He assured that the ministry FMSTI will support them to show the world that Nigeria is aiming to “overtake other countries that have left us behind”.
Earlier, Engr. Charles Abayomi, who spoke on behalf of the association’s president, said that the essence of the visit was to seek active collaboration and partnership with the ministry on their key mandates.
A statement by the deputy director, press and public relations unit, Afonja Ajibola, said Abayomi also used the opportunity to invite the minister to be a key speaker at their forthcoming conference later in the year.
