By Dele Ogbodo
The CEO of the National Centre for Technology Management Centre (NACETEM), Prof. Okechukwu Okeuoma and DG,
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Mr. Yemi Kale, on Thursday in Abuja, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the audit of the country’s Science Technology and Innovation (STI) space for the country’s overall development.
The MoU is therefore the fall out of the stakeholders’ workshop on STI indicators survey for Nigeria and technology audit of selected economic sectors organised by NACETEM which held between 13th to 17th May in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
NACETEM is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology saddled with the responsibility to provide critical knowledge support in the area of science, technology and innovation management for sustainable development.
The MOU according to the agency’s CEO, Prof. Ukwuoma, in a chat with SHARPEFGENews, is aimed at further helping the agency accomplish its mandates.
The synergy, Ekwuoma, said, has as it’s terms of reference: to design and deliver training programmes in the area of research methodology, survey development, data gathering, analysis, and application for policy makers and officers in MDAs for socio-economic development in Nigeria.
He added: “To exchange ideas, concepts, training manuals and brochure for parties to incorporate relevant framework in the short-term training programmes; to share sampling frame, data and knowledge for research and training purposes; to review, ensure quality control and endorse existing NACETEM’s survey instruments and statistical reports, and adopt such as part of official national statistics; and to initiate the process of integrating NACETEM into the National Consultative Committee on Statistics (NCCS).”
This collaboration, according to him shows the commitment of NACETEM towards ensuring that an all-inclusive approach is adopted in carrying out its activities, particularly in the development of STI indicators for the nation, policy research projects which help remove guesswork from governance and its consultancy activities, as no dynamic organisation can operate in isolation.