The Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi, has opined that Nigeria’s rapid economic growth lies in the viable implementation of the nation’s science, technology and innovation (STI) policy document.
Delivering his keynote address at a national workshop themed “Science, Technology and Innovation Management: A tool for rapid socio-economic development in Nigeria”, organised by the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) in Abuja, he posited that beyond the formulation of policies, they need to be implemented to drive economic growth.
According to him, no nation became great without the instrumentality of science, technology and innovation, he said, citing examples of countries that rose to enviable heights through the implementation of a viable science, technology and innovation policy document.
He revealed that the ministry had commenced the process involved in the review of the science, technology and innovation policy. It is expected that the reviewed document – which will be in line with best global practices – will drive the nation’s economy and lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty in the course of the next 10 years.
Earlier in his welcome address, the director-general of NACETEM, Prof. Okechukwu Ukwuoma, said the workshop is an effort to step up gear in bringing major stakeholders together to brainstorm on the application of STI to all facets of the nation’s economy.
“NACETEM, an agency of the FMSTI, saddled with the responsibility of providing critical knowledge support in the area of science, technology and innovation management for sustainable development, has been at the forefront of coupling knowledge to development in almost the last three decades. We have consciously and conscientiously propagated the gospel of STI, which has led to the inclusion of innovation in Nigeria’s extant STI policy.
“This singular act has revolutionised the way STI is perceived and deployed in the country, as its importance is now more apparent to all. Indeed, as opposed to the practice of the past when it takes ages for policies to be revised, the 2012 Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation is being reviewed less than 10 years after to align it with the current realities of our existence. This is another indication of the nation’s seriousness, with the deployment of science, technology and innovation to the realisation of sustainable development in Nigeria. It is no longer business as usual,” he added.
