BY: Oliseama Okwuchukwu
In compliance with the Presidential directive, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu on Tuesday summoned the Director-Generals of agencies under the Ministry and directed them to submit achievements recorded at the respective Ministries.
At the meeting, Dr Onu who just returned from an official visit to Sochi, Russia where he attended the 2019 ATOMEXPO International Conference and exhibition emphasized that important achievement of the agencies should be highlighted.
Dr. Onu told the DGs to focus their research efforts on challenges faced by the nation and come up with effective solutions.
In this wise, record achievement by the agencies in identification of crude oil theft through finger-print and discovery of new grasses to stem herder’s/farmers clashes, according to the Minister, must be given prominent attention in their submissions.
Dr. Onu further appealed to the DGs to collaborate in their research endeavors to avoid duplication and waste of efforts and resources.
He tasked the DGs and the committee involved with the collation of the key achievements to work on the summaries of the agencies’ achievements so that it could be forwarded to the Secretary of the Federal Government in good time.
“The Ministry is involved with Research and Development of Science and Technology, and there is no reason Nigeria must not be the first in science, technology and Innovation” he added.
Dr. Onu highlighted some key achievements from the proposed period, which included eradication of malaria in Africa, soil less farming, helping the Internally Displaced persons, progress on Sickle-cell/anemia management and epilepsy etc.
In their presentations, the DGs highlighted their various contribution to health Care delivery, Agriculture, housing, raw Materials development, local content development, power generation, Skills acquisition, and capacity building.
Other areas of achievement are infrastructural development using local content, resuscitation of moribund centers, contribution to sport development, acquisition and upgrading of office and laboratory complex’s and development of indigenous machines.