By Karl Khashoogi
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has called on the leading five academies in Nigeria to work in harmony
so as to accelerate the socio-economic development of the country.
Onu made the call during the induction of new fellows and presentation of the Academy’s Gold medal award to recipients in Abuja during the week.
The minister was among Nigerians inducted into the Nigerian Academy of Science. The Nigerian Academy of science is the foremost independent scientific body in Nigeria.
According to Dr. Onu, the knowledge produced by the natural sciences requires the insight of the social sciences; the wisdom of the humanities and the management skills of the management sciences. Only through this can Nigeria become a self-reliant nation, free from the strangulating grip of over-dependence on the importation of goods and services.
The five Nigerian academies include the Nigerian Academy of Science, Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Nigerian Academy of Education, Nigerian Academy of Social Sciences and the Nigerian Academy of letters.
Dr. Onu, who spoke on behalf of fellow inductees assured that they will uphold their oath to the ideals of the Academy.
He said that the future of science and technology was very bright in Nigeria.
Said he “We are working day and night to attain that level of greatness that God wants us to be, we are working hard to make our economy less dependent on raw materials and be a knowledge and innovation-driven one.”
The Minister explained that through well-conceived policies, the Ministry is working assiduously to ensure the conversion of the nation’s raw materials to products and services to ensure economic diversification.
The Minister also spoke on the National Strategy for competitiveness in Raw materials products and services, which he said was meant to make Nigeria’s economy become competitive.
On the Executive Order 5, Dr. Onu said it is the revolutionary instrument that would move Nigeria’s economy from resource-based to a knowledge and innovation driven economy.
He also said it will further guarantee homegrown capability and capacity to maintain, re-design, reproduce, domesticate and duplicate infrastructure built in Nigeria for self-reliance and development.