Federal Science Equipment Centre (FSEC), Ijanikin, Lagos, under the Federal Ministry of Education said every necessary arrangement had been made by the centre to train 110 unity schools across the country on repair and maintenance of science laboratory equipment.
The centre stated that “the training was graciously approved by the Ministry of Education’s Permanent Secretary, Andrew Adejo and it is termed ‘train the trainer’ with the FG aiming at maintaining its existing science laboratory equipment and cutting cost on buying new ones.”
It added that it would explore the production of fabrication standard science school equipment, which it would sell, at a reduced price, to other schools aside from unity schools.
Making these known at a two-day training organised for staff members of the centre, at the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State is the Director of the Centre, Mr Yekinni Ismaila.
He explained that the staff members of the centre would undergo intensive training that would enable them to train others through their acquired skills during the training activities.
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The Director of the centre further expressed optimism that, in no distance time, other programmes would be fashioned out for the staff members to be more productive in their various areas of specialisation.
“The staff members being trained would later go round all the unity schools, to train the schools on repairs and maintenance of their laboratory equipment.”
According to him, “the centre had also picked production of high-quality chalks as a way of generating revenue plus commercialising its training courses which used to be free.”
He also argued that “it had now become expedient for the centre to assess its fund generating avenues in order to achieve its mandate, which is critical to the development of science in Nigeria.
“Most pressing issues in the world today are science-based and a well-managed science experiment centre has the capacity to, not only transform a developing economy into a developed one but create endless opportunities to generate funds and be self-sufficient.
“Due to dwindling FG revenue, allocation to the centre had suffered some setbacks and it is affecting the free services rendered to unity schools under its purview.”
Ismaila added that it had now become expedient for the centre to assess its fund-generating avenues in order to achieve its mandate, which is critical to the development of science in Nigeria.
While pointing out that the centre is facing challenges that have been making it to fast marching its optimal performance, Mr Yekinni said all these had been made known to the permanent secretary and the Ministry.
He finally submitted that the federal government has created the FSEC, through the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNESCO and UNDP, to enhance the development of science in post-primary institutions.
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