‘Solution to Nigeria’s challenges in science, technology improvement’

The importance of an improved science, technology, engineering and mathematics (S.T.E.M) aspect of education, in no small way, contributes to transforming economies and has been behind the advancements in developed countries.

While this assertion holds true for forward-looking countries, today, this aspect of education have really not received adequate attention needed to push the growth in Nigeria.

It is against this backdrop that educationists and industry experts have once again reiterated the need for Nigeria to pay adequate attention to science-based education in order to achieve the needed development in the country.

Oye Ibidapo-Obe, the vice chancellor of Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi State, observes that universities and other higher institutions as innovation hubs have major roles to play in using science and technology to drive development by building capacities in several sectors of the economy.

“Developing economies like Nigeria can only fast-track and/or leapfrog their growth through targeted research and development,” Ibidapo-Obe says.

According to him, “a practical way to do this is to do what is generically referred to as reverse engineering. It is these institutions that must provide the roadmap to circumvent those roadblocks to indigenous technology enhancement necessary for driving innovation and development of the nation.”

He further pointed out that the nation must be prepared to invest heavily in the higher education, cutting across both the public and private sectors, stressing that the research facilities must orchestrate the brain power of the staff, take responsibility for training new generation of talents and participate in the transformation of the nation’s science and technology base.

The university don noted that the world had moved on from commodity-based and military power ranking to knowledge economies/societies, adding that the paradigm shift is propelled by advancements made through science and technology innovations.

According to him, universities in Nigeria must therefore be the focus for the modernising of forces of the society, for the promotion of the “values of science and technology” and for mediating between the political and industrial spheres of national life.

He called for a coherent national science and technology strategy with a framework developed in consultation with the National Academies of Science to specify the national priorities for research and development with the appropriate funding commitment.

“The challenges of our development, epitomised largely by corruption, poverty, disease, and poor implementation of good policies, can be surmounted if the citizenry is sufficiently educated to make long-term good decisions,” he said.

On his part Tolu Odugbemi, vice chancellor, Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), decried the poor standard of education and the lack of proper attention to entrepreneurship development in country which is adversely affecting the economy.

He disclosed that his university as part of efforts to tackle these challenges, had tailored it learning to focus on both areas of education and entrepreneurship as a way of empowering the country’s youth after graduation.

KELECHI EWUZIE