Ewa, Science & Tech Minister Tasks Scientists on Nigeria’s Transformation

Professor Ita Okon Bassey Ewa, minister of Science and Technology, has urged participants at the 12th National Council on Science and Technology in Ibadan Oyo Sate to use Science Technology and Innovation to transform Nigeria into one of the top 20 economies in year 2020.

He said that a nation that is unable to develop its STI system will sink further down, while those with strong STI will mount up, as STI provides the basis for industrialization and sustainable development.

Ewa tasked the participants to come up with  recommendations that will fast track the transformation agenda of the present administration.

Ewa said: “The challenge before this Council is how to galvanize our thoughts and submissions and recommend implementable projects that will drive the real sectors of the Nigerian economy and fast track the transformation agenda.”

Rabi Jimeta Earlier, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology informed delegates that the revised National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy document had not only been approved by the Federal Executive council, but had been launched and popularized by the Ministry.

As part of the strategy to popularize the document, she said, a set of Key Performance Indicators were developed and validated through a national workshop that was attended by a wide spectrum of stakeholders, adding, that a National System of Innovation Workshops were held across three zones, namely Kaduna, Aba and Lagos in an effort to evolve a set of partnership initiatives between knowledge- based institution and the private sector.