FEC approves new guideline on science, engineering, technology

THE Federal Executive Council has approved new and revolutionary policy guidelines for the design and execution of programmes, project and contract with science, engineering and technology components.

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu disclosed this at the first Science, Technology and Innovation sensitisation Forum which took place in Abuja, on Tuesday.

With the new guidelines, according to him, Nigeria could produce what it needed and exported the surplus to other part of the world, adding that it would enable the country conserve her foreign reserves and strengthen foreign trade with multiplier benefits to the economy.

“Its implementation will strengthen and deepen the role of science, technology and innovation in the future development goals of Nigeria. It will help create a new nation that will guarantee the happiness and prosperity of Nigerians.

“This will help Nigeria promote national self-reliance by promoting a radical shift in emphasis toward entrenching science, technology and innovation as an invaluable component of virtually all strata of our national development process.

“It is designed to ensure that we promote local content, encourage, indigenous technology capacity, drastically reduce capital flight, strengthen local manpower development, enhance global competiveness and restore national pride,” he stated.

The minister further said apart from helping Nigeria bridge existing technology gaps, it would also help fast track the process that would enable her become self-reliant in indigenous technology capacity, thereby stimulating a greater sense of national pride rooted in enduring self-reliance.