Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora has said that for any Nation to make meaningful progress, it must provide an enabling environment to support Science, Technology and Innovation Sector that will unlock the enormous potentials for the creation of wealth, employment opportunities, and productivity to engage its youths in meaningful employment.
The Minister said this while delivering his keynote address at the World Science Day Celebration, today, in Abuja.
Science, the Minister said is the pursuit of knowledge and its application through the process of methodology based on evidence. He further stated that the relevance of Science, Technology and Innovation cannot be overemphasized as it is the umbrella where STEM evolves.
Speaking on the theme “Basic Science, for Sustainable Development” he said, is intended to brainstorm and fashion out strategic approach for critical activities geared towards achieving the ministry’s goal of moving the nation from resource base to knowledge based economy, driven by innovation.
The Minister stated that this will in no doubt address the problem of innovation as the missing link in the statutory responsibility of the ministry which will drive the Innovation Agenda, promote productivity, increase socio-economic growth and enhance national development.
Dr. Mamora observed with great interest that the Science, Technology and Innovation sector has achieved a lot, over the past seven years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which was demonstrated through changing the narratives of inadequate funding of the ministry, improved budgetary provisions which resulted in improved R&D outputs across the ministry and her Agencies.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh, said that Science is the bedrock of development in the World and its critical component in any meaningful development cannot be overemphasized.
He further stated that Science makes life better and easier and so advised students to put more interest in STEM subjects.
Speaking, the representative of Secretary General of UNESCO, Mrs. Eunice Ayara, Head, Natural Science Sector (NATCOM-UNESCO) said that FMSTI is one of the agents driving science, technology engineering and mathematics in the world.
According to her, the importance of world Science Day celebration is to showcase the country’s potential to the world through STI.
