FMS&T Seeks Media Partnership on Technology Development

Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has urged the media to effectively communicate positive developments in science, technology and innovation in the country to the public.

Prof. Etta Okon Ewa, minister of Science and Technology, stated this at a workshop for media practitioners on science and technology organized by National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (Notap) in Lagos over the weekend. He said that technology information can effectively impact on national development only when it is properly and consistently communicated to all and sundry.

“Despite the huge potentials of our National Innovation System (NIS), the Nigerian public has been critical about contributions of science, technology and innovation to national development. This could easily be attributed to the various partnership challenges as well as inadequate reportage of events and development in the sector,” he said.

The minister who was represented by Dr. Gloria Elemo, director general, Federal Institute of Industry Research, Oshodi, said: “it is against this backdrop, that the Ministry of Science and Technology has included in the recently launched new national policy on Science Technology and Innovation (STI); “the need to popularize and inculcate STI culture in Nigerians for rapid socio-economic transformation and create awareness in the society on the relevance of STI culture for the improvement of quality of life”.

He urged media practitioners to give the recently unveiled policy the needed coverage so that the nation which is blessed with huge human and material resources can join the league of industrialized nations of the world in the shortest possible time.

Dr. Umar Bindir, director general, Notap, stressed the need to ensure that the media reports to the world those things that the country is getting right.

“We want to use this forum to produce good science and technology journalist to be able to showcase those things that the country has gotten right in terms of science and technology,” he noted.