Sequel to the expiration of the tenure of the Governing Boards and Council of some Agencies and Institutes under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reconstitution of the members of the affected Agencies and Institutes.
Nigeria’s Minister of Science Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, while inaugurating over one hundred and thirty-nine board members of twelve Agencies under the Ministry in Abuja, the nation’s capital urged the newly appointed board members and council to contribute positively to the overall development and supervision of their respective Agencies and institutes.
The Minister said that the Ministry is focused on building a Ministry that is recognised as the best in Africa and at par with the best in the world, stressing that value addition will continue to be a goal of the Nigerian Government in reshaping and repositioning Nigeria as a technologically advanced nation.
Dr. Onu emphasised the need for strengthening national institutions due to the current situation of Nigeria’s institutions being ranked among the weakest in the World by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
He further said that the policies that will be developed through programmes, projects and activities must impact positively on the agencies’ respective mandates.
“As you commence your work you should be careful with your suggestion’s contributions, involvement and dispositions to the strategic elements that drive accomplishment of mandates of your various agencies. Therefore, polices through programmes projects and activities must be seen to impact on very fundamental of your agencies mandate”
“Using the enormous power of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), our focus will be on the development of abundant natural resources as well as the orderly exploitation of huge potentials of our people and business”.
The Minister further disclosed that ministry is poised to engage the subnational level of governance including States and local governments.
Dr. added that the ministry will soon establish six (6) Technology and Innovation Centres for global competitiveness in line with Presidential Executive order 05 and the fundamental principles of national strategy for competitiveness in Raw materials and product Development in Nigeria.
Also speaking Minister of State for Science Technology and Innovation, Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi, stated that President Muhammadu Buhari approved their appointment in line with the mandate of the agencies which is designed to strengthen the operational and Institutional capacities in discharging their mandates.
He further called on the board members of the agencies, to support the various policies put in place by the government to uplift a hundred million Nigerians out of poverty, adding that the STI policies will aid in transforming the country from resource to knowledge base economy.
“I have no doubt your contributions and experience will further provide strategies and ways for adequate investments in the Nigeria STI Sector to drive the diversification of the Nigerian government” he added.
